Longtime business partners Jeff Buckingham and Cheryl Lovell are proud to announce the launch of Blue Rooster Telecom, a brand new San Luis Obispo business telecom company, ready to provide service now.

Offering traditional local and long distance phone service, plus Internet, private networks and more to local businesses, Blue Rooster is the latest venture from these two long-established and well-respected names in the industry and the community.

"We are not your typical telecom provider," Buckingham said. "So we wanted our name to be unique. Blue Rooster has a great ring to it. It’s different … like we are. And it's fun. Kind of grows on you, doesn’t it?"

Buckingham, president of Blue Rooster, began his career in 1983 at Call America, one of the first competitive long distance carriers on the Central Coast. Buckingham guided Call America through the 1980s, and positioned it as the first commercial Internet service provider in the area during the ‘90s.

In 2001, Buckingham and business partner Lovell, Blue Rooster's vice president, founded a reincarnation of Call America (which had merged with GST in 1997). Together, they grew the company to support more than 2,000 business customers generating more than $7 million in annual revenues.

Promising live, local service representatives to every customer, every time they called, superior personalized customer service became the hallmark of these telecom industry veterans. Blue Rooster will continue that tradition.

As a member of the board of directors at the Competitive Telecommunications Association (COMPTEL), Buckingham helped shape national policy before the Federal Communications Commission, Congress, and the White House. He is also a member and past President of the California Association of Competitive Telecommunications Providers (CALTEL), representing the concerns of his industry at the California Public Utilities Commission and the California State Legislature. In 2009, Buckingham was presented with the CALTEL Champion of Competition Award. 

Buckingham is active in the community as a member of the Rotary Club of SLO de Tolosa, Cuesta Foundation Board, Farm Bureau Board and was SLO Chamber Chairperson in 2007.

Lovell began her career at the original Call America and has worked with Buckingham since 1991.  Together they re-launched Call America in 2001. Lovell will serve as head of operations at Blue Rooster.

"Our success has always been based on a customer-first philosophy. At Blue Rooster, we'll continue to focus on putting customers first. Our people are smart, dedicated, and we love what we do," said Lovell. "We like to say that Blue Rooster is the most fun you’ll have with a telecom company."

Joining the new Blue Rooster team is Janice Petko, Director of Sales and Marketing. Bringing more than 20 years experience to her post, Petko is one of the most experienced telecom professionals around, having worked for such companies as Digital West Networks, tw telecom, and of course, Call America where she  worked with Lovell and Buckingham for years.

"I can’t wait to see the impact that Blue Rooster will have on this community," said Petko. "This is such an exciting time to be in this industry."

For more information, visit www.blueroostertelecom.com.