­­The latest area to get fiber-based services in SkyLine’s systemwide overbuild is the downtown business community of West Jefferson.

A decade ago, SkyLine made the historic decision to embark on building a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network, a network so robust that it can deliver current and next-generation technology services to the cooperative’s customers.

Voice, Video and Internet over fiber are crystal clear and less susceptible to interruptions caused by outside sources. “When we decided to construct a complete fiber overbuild, it meant building a future-proof network, enabling us to offer a superior and more reliable service,” said SkyLine CEO Jimmy Blevins.

Today, more than 77 percent of SkyLine’s service area is fiber-ready, meaning that residential and business customers alike can access a triple play of services including voice, the fastest available Internet speeds
and digital TV services.

The newest area to be connected is downtown West Jefferson, where businesses like Mountain View TV Center have been eager to get fiber services. Owners Jerry Abreu and George Santana already have SkyLine/SkyBest’s phone, Internet and security services at their business and homes, but they are particularly excited about getting a fiber connection so they can subscribe to SkyBest TV. Jerry says, “It’s an ideal fit for our business. We have delivered large-screen TVs to many of our customers, and the fiber-optic system is so much more superior to what they had previously,” Jerry says. “Even SkyBest’s standard definition signals are amazing.”

While Abreu and Santana have been in business locally for just eight years, they are not new to home electronics, offering high-quality products and delivering exceptional customer service that goes well beyond the initial purchase. The two gentlemen, who share birthdays just two weeks apart, have been friends for 50 years and business partners for 40. They married sisters (George is celebrating his 46th anniversary this year), they share the role of godparent to each other’s children, and they value the strengths that each other brings to the business. For 32 years, they operated Reed Appliance, selling electronics and appliances in Key West, Florida, where they built a highly successful business by delivering on their promises and garnering repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals. “We have always helped out the customers after the purchase, adding that special touch that people talk about and remember,” says George.

Noted for its exceptional commitment to customer service and community support, Mountain View TV received the Small Business of the Year Award by the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce in 2014.

SkyLine Inside Sales Coordinator Robin Miller discusses how Mountain View TV can include SkyBest TV in a money-saving bundle of services with owners Jerry Abreu (left) and George Santana (center).

Their first connection here came in 1971 while visiting the Land of Oz theme park in Beech Mountain; later they visited a friend who had a home in Todd. “We fell in love with Ashe County,” said Jerry. In 1992, the two bought a lot and within two years, built their first homes in Laurel Mountain Estates.

Like their business in Key West, which catered to such notables as fashion designer Calvin Klein, actors Roy Scheider and Kelly McGillis and mystery author Stuart Woods, Abreu and Santana offer top-quality brands including LG, Samsung, Sony and Sharp with in-store displays ranging from 22 to 65-inch TVs, as well as sound systems, receivers and speakers. “We are part of a buying group of 4,000 dealers, which among other benefits, affords us access to the best brands and the ability to offer more competitive pricing to our customers,” Jerry says.

With fiber from SkyBest, they can now show the crystal-clear signal of SkyBest TV service on several of their floor model TVs, including the very latest, LG’s new Curve Organic LED TV.