
3 minute read
Connecting Kentuckians to what they love
From the moment Bluegrass Cellular turned on its towers in May 1991, the radios have been filled with people using their services.
Your Community Expanded. Bluegrass Cellular’s tagline says a lot about the value they deliver to customers. They provide the services customers need locally, as well as nationwide and even internationally. Bluegrass Cellular is part of Verizon’s LTE in Rural America (LRA) program, which helped them become one of the first regional carriers to have 4G.
“Regional Connect Magazine” chatted with Barry Nothstine, vice president of sales and marketing, and Doug Updegraff, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, to learn more about “this tough little carrier.”
Q: Tell us about the communities
Bluegrass Cellular serves. A: We cover 34 counties in south central
Kentucky. Basically, we’re located in the heart of the state. We cover the heavy traffic areas of I-65, Cumberland Parkway, Bluegrass Parkway and the Western Kentucky Parkway.
Often, this area is referred to as the Golden Triangle. It’s where the traffic and the industry are in Kentucky. Bowling Green, the state’s fastest growing city, is in our service area. We serve a lot of consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, family farms, lumber yards and automotive manufacturers.
Q:
A:
What do you enjoy about serving this community?
We give our customers what people in the big cities have. They deserve the same services that residents of Louisville receive, and we make that a reality. We help everyone keep in
Q:
A: touch with the people they love and the things they need to know.
Tell us about Bluegrass Cellular’s mission.
Our mission statement can be summed up simply: Treat our customers like good friends. When you’re friends with someone, you take care of them, listen to them and try to do things that make them happy. That’s exactly what we do. Customers know that if they have a coverage need, we’re going to listen and do our best to help them out.
We have a strong history, but we can’t rest on our laurels. We’re going to be competitive, stay on the cuttingedge, and not give up because we know that we’re the only company that can provide this level of service to our customers, our friends.
It’s also important for us to be a part of the communities we serve because we live here. We strive to be a good neighbor by supporting school drives and giving back in other areas.
Q:
A:
What do you value most about your partnership with Ericsson?
Having a partner like Ericsson helps us manage the technical transitions that we have to go through. Knowing they’re here, with the cutting-edge technology and support, calms the nerves and helps us feel better about where we’re headed.
We’ve made it through several of the “Gs” with Ericsson’s help. We’re at the forefront of their RAN network. We were one of the first small carriers to turn up voice over LTE (VoLTE) on
Q:
A: our network. Ericsson helps us keep up with the industry and make sure we’re giving our customers the latest and greatest – so they can have faster and better service that enables them to keep in touch with the things they love.

What is one thing you’d like people to know about Bluegrass Cellular that they likely don’t know?
We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished over the years… being first to provide wireless service to this area in Kentucky and first with all of the technological transitions (TDMA, CDMA, 1X, EVDO, 4G). Our customers know they can rely on us and that they won’t be left behind.
We are a regionally owned and operated carrier, but by no means does that imply we’re inferior to the tier-one carriers. We offer nationwide and international coverage just like they do and similar products and services. In some cases, we’ve launched products before the nationwide carriers. And our award-winning hometown customer support provides a local touch that no one else can offer.
Would you like to be featured in the next issue of “Regional Connect Magazine?”
Contact your Ericsson account representative to learn more.