Business 2.0 :: Triple play” is the new buzzword in telecom circles. Most analysts believe that bundling voice, video, and Internet services over a single pipe — copper or fiber — is the only way phone companies can survive the cable gauntlet. The multibillion-dollar upgrade plans of big phone companies like BellSouth (BLS), SBC Communications (SBC), and Verizon (VZ) are hogging all the headlines.

In reality, it is the small and independent phone companies that are the true triple-play pioneers. There are some 1,100 such phone companies in the United States, serving anywhere from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand households. Most are unknown outside the small markets they serve. Continue reading….