I snapped this picture a week ago 
as I was going in to eat at Something Different Grill along State Hwy 114 in Levelland. The restaurant is located just 30 minutes west of Lubbock and has appeared in the Texas Monthly.
I couldn’t help but notice a connection as the train rumbled past a sign advertising NTS Commuication's digital service in Levelland. While these two things may not seem all that similar they have one very important connection as far as Levelland is concerned. They both connect Levelland and its businesses to the global market place.
Over the last several months the Levelland EDC’s new $8.6 mil Levelland Industrial Rail Park has been under construction on the eastern edge of town. With over 21,000 feet of track being installed and new roads, water & sewer lines being put in place to make sites shovel ready, Levelland is banking on the recovery of a global market place that requires the use of rail as an efficient and practical means to move goods in and out of the South Plains and High Ground of Texas.
While Rail serves as the more traditional connection to the global market place, NTS Communications’ newly installed fiber-to-the-user (FTTU) network provides the more modern connection to the world. In August of 2009 NTS opened their Levelland office and began installing interface devices throughout the community.
NTS Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded Xfone, Inc. (AMEX: XFN), that provides integrated voice, data and video solutions made the installation of fiber across a 30 mile distance between Lubbock Texas and Levelland over the past two years. The fiber offering by NTS is particularly efficient for business and residential customers because it provides higher bandwidth, increasing the speed with which information may be uploaded or downloaded.
With both the Levelland Industrial Rail Park and the NTS Fiber-to-the-user (FTTU) network in place Levelland has brought the world market place to local businesses. This continued investment in infrastructure will pay huge dividends to the Levelland community and surrounding region as more and more companies call Levelland home.
Invest in Progress. Invest in Levelland. Find out more about opportunities that exist in Levelland at GoLevelland.com/Progress.
Today's Post provided by guest blogger Courney Binford, NTS Communications.
Levelland is one of a handful of communities in West Texas being built out with a Fiber-to-the-User network. As a growing, thriving community, Levelland is on the cutting edge of broadband technology. Fiber optic systems throughout the community will benefit both residences and businesses, alike.
Fiber uses light signals to transmit data. With the fiber connection, voice, video, and data will all be transmitted directly to the user with faster connections and more carrying capacity than a copper connection. Fiber is the product of the future; it has a virtually unlimited bandwidth coupled with a long reach, or a standard medium that will be in place for a long time to come, making it "future safe".
Communities such as Levelland, which are continuing to grow through this hard economic time, will find the benefits through fiber as a more cost effective and simpler way to communicate with voice, video, and data services. Fiber-to-the-User broadband connections will inspire new products and services and could open entire new sectors in the business world (FTTH Council).
NTS of Levelland is proud to bring this fiber optic network to the community of Levelland to both inspire and create communication relationships into the future.
NTS Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded Xfone, Inc. (AMEX: XFN), that provides integrated voice, data and video solutions, has started phase 5 of their fiber optic build out of Levelland.
According to NTS officials construction Phase 5, which includes the Ridgecrest Addition, the Levelland High School area and the south east parts of Levelland has already begun and customers will be able to access the fiber optic communications network in the very near future.
For more information on the build out or obtaining service through NTS contact Suzanne Patterson at 800.658.2150 x 4602.
Beginning in mid February, NTS Communications will go live with its Levelland Fiber to the User build out. The first area to be brought online will be an area covering from the South Side of 5
th Street to the North Side of Austin from West side of College Ave to the East side of Ave. G.
The company will provide voice, data and cable "triple play" offerings to its customers. The fiber offering is particularly efficient for business and residential customers because it provides higher bandwidth, increasing the speed with which information may be uploaded or downloaded.
NTS will continue building out their network in Levelland and eventually have the entire city wired with fiber. An expected grand opening for their store front located on College Ave across from United Super Market will take place sometime in February to coincide with the network going live.