Sage Telecom

About Sage Telecom

Sage Telecom, Inc. was established in 1996 by Dennis W. Houlihan in Allen, Texas, as a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC). The company's business model centered on reselling telecommunications services, primarily targeting rural and suburban residential and small business customers often underserved by larger carriers like the former SBC Communications.

The company's service portfolio included local and long-distance phone services, bundled plans, and dial-up internet access. A key milestone was achieved in 1998 when it received certification from the Public Utilities Commission of Texas to provide local telephone service across the state. This was followed by certification in Oklahoma in 2001 and expansion into Kansas in 2002. The founder, Dennis W. Houlihan, was recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001 for the southwest region. By 2003, Sage Telecom was noted for having the highest revenue growth in Texas over the previous five years, according to Deloitte and Touche.

Over the years, Sage Telecom went through several leadership changes and acquisitions. Terry W. Lewis took over as president and CEO in 2005. In January 2007, the company was acquired by the hedge fund Silver Point Capital. A significant transition occurred in July 2012 when Telscape Communications, which later rebranded as TruConnect, acquired Sage from Silver Point Capital for undisclosed terms. Following this acquisition, the combined entity served over 150,000 subscribers across thirteen states. The final major event in its history was in 2015, when certain wireline assets of Sage Telecom were sold to Birch Communications, allowing the parent company, TSC Acquisition Corp., to focus on its growing wireless business under the TruConnect brand.