Rochester, N.Y. -- FiberNet Telecom Group Inc., a
competitive local-exchange carrier that expects to crack the New York City phone market
later this year, has hired former Time Warner Cable executive Frank Chiaino as its
president and CEO.
Chiaino spent 30 years at Time Warner, lastly as president
and CEO of Time Warner Communications, based here. He left in November 1995, and he was
succeeded by current president Ann Burr.
Chiaino helped to establish Time Warner's first CLEC
operation, in Rochester, after working with the New York State Public Service Commission
on the landmark agreement that opened Rochester Telephone Co. (now Frontier Corp.) up to
local competition. He also directed the $100 million fiber upgrade in that market.
Before that, Chiaino was vice president and chief operating
officer at then-Time Inc.'s Manhattan Cable subsidiary. In a statement, FiberNet
chairman Santo Petrocelli cited Chiaino's experience in New York and with
implementing advanced technologies as the reasons for his hiring.
FiberNet's history traces back to FiberNet USA Inc., a
competitive-access provider, the assets of which were sold to InterMedia Communications
Inc. in 1995; and to FiberNet Inc., which sold out to MFS Communications Co. in 1994.
FiberNet's business plan calls for it to serve
business customers over leased fiber facilities in New York and New Jersey this year,
followed by other metropolitan markets. According to securities filings, FiberNet's
Local Fiber LLC unit, the CLEC, has a credit facility for about $10 million to build a
digital network in New York City. Another arm, FiberNet Equal Access LLC, builds fiber
networks and leases bandwidth to other carriers.
