Franklin Telecom to Buy Number One Internet

Franklin Telecom in Westlake Village has reached an agreement to acquire Simi Valley-based Number One Internet Service, subject to approval by the companies’ boards of directors.

Number One Internet will specialize in providing high-speed wireless, frame relay and ATM Internet service to business customers. Franklin Telecom, founded in 1981, designs and manufactures communications systems and software.

“We have been impressed with Number One’s marketing savvy,” said Frank Peters, Franklin’s president and chief executive officer. “They have demonstrated a remarkable knack for identifying a particular niche in the industrial community and moving to fill it.”

Peters said Number One’s immediate focus will be on marketing Franklin’s high-speed wireless Internet service and high-speed frame relay applications to businesses throughout the western United States. Number One’s equipment will be relocated to Franklin’s headquarters, he said.

“We are at the stage where many companies and professionals who were among the first to recognize the strategic importance of the Internet and to plunge into its usage need more sophisticated applications and higher-speed access,” said Franklin sales manager Alan London. “For many of them, wireless or frame relay is the next logical step. We feel that Number One Internet has the marketing presence coupled with the technical know-how to make this transition simple and efficient for them.”

“This is a good marriage,” said Steve Sullivan, Number One’s co-founder. “We are excited about the high-quality products that Franklin manufactures, and they fit like a glove with the market that Number One has been targeting.”