Frequently asked questions

ETG Communications is a locally owned Erie, Pennsylvania company that installs, repairs and maintains business phone systems, security cameras, access control, structured cabling, overhead paging, wireless networking and sound masking for businesses, schools and non-profits across Erie and the tri-state area. Founded in November 1993 by GTE veteran Ron Bielanin — ETG stands for “Ex Telephone Guys” — the company has been a Certified ESI Reseller since 2012, still services older phone systems other vendors have given up on, and regularly works as the local hands for out-of-area companies that need installation or service done in the Erie region.

Ex Telephone Guys. ETG was started by former GTE telephone men and does business as ETG Communications, Inc.

Since November 1993. ETG was founded by Ron Bielanin after a 30-year career at GTE (now Verizon), where he oversaw private communication systems for some of Erie’s largest employers. His son Scott joined in 1996 and is now co-owner.

ETG is family-owned and run by Ron Bielanin, who founded it in 1993, and his son Scott Bielanin, co-owner, who handles sales, service and operations.

ESI phone systems, SIP trunks and cloud calling; Uniview security cameras and recorders; ESI Access door entry and panic buttons; Ubiquiti and TP-Link Omada Wi-Fi and point-to-point wireless; Bogen and Valcom overhead paging; and fiber, CAT6 and coax cabling. ETG also services older Nortel, ComDial, NEC and Avaya phone systems. See the Portfolio page for the full list.

ETG Communications, Inc., 2835 Pearl Ave., Erie, PA 16510. Phone (814) 898-1400.

ETG serves Erie, Pennsylvania and the surrounding tri-state area of northwestern Pennsylvania, western New York and northeastern Ohio.

Yes. ETG can serve the largest enterprises in the Erie region, but many of its customers are small businesses and non-profits. No customer is too small, and ETG works to find a solution within your budget, whether that’s a new system, an upgrade or a repair.

Offices, warehouses, manufacturers, schools, hotels, hospitals, auto dealerships, retail shops and non-profits — any organization that depends on its phones, network, cameras or paging.

Yes. ETG repairs and maintains existing telephone systems regardless of who installed them. If another company can’t or won’t service your system, call ETG for a second opinion.

Usually not. Most older systems just need an adjustment, a configuration change or a routine repair. ETG still services Avaya, Nortel and NEC systems and can upgrade them to add features and reliability. If replacement really is the better choice, we’ll explain why and show you the options.

Often, yes. ETG has reprogrammed older systems to deliver features customers were told required a new system, saving them the cost of a replacement.

ETG has been a Certified ESI Reseller since 2012, selling ESI cloud, on-premises and premises + cloud systems. ETG also works with the major hosted VoIP providers, including RingCentral, Vonage, Nextiva and Toshiba VIPedge.

Yes. ESI’s on-premises eSIP Evolution Series can be bought outright and kept in your building, or taken as a monthly service bundled with SIP lines for a lower up-front cost. ESI’s cloud system is a monthly service. ETG will lay out both so you can compare.

Yes, with ESI’s cloud system. The eTeams Connector lets staff call from Microsoft Teams using their business numbers, and CommConnect links calls to popular CRMs so caller details pop up on screen.

Yes. CAIRO for ESI Cloud is an AI receptionist that answers in a natural voice around the clock, understands what callers need, routes them to the right person or queue, and can book appointments. ETG can set it up on an ESI cloud system.

Yes. ESI’s smartphone and desktop apps put your office extension on your cell phone or computer, with transfer, hold, voicemail, call recording and presence status, so callers reach you the same way wherever you are.

Yes. ESI eFax sends and receives faxes securely by email and online, without a fax machine or a dedicated fax line.

It’s a built-in help feature on every ESI desk phone. Press the help key and the phone explains how to use the feature you’re working with, so staff don’t need a manual.

Yes. ESI hardware warranty terms depend on the system and plan you choose, and some cloud plans include hardware coverage for as long as the account is active. Ask ETG which coverage applies when you request a quote.

It depends on your building, your internet connection, how mobile your staff are and how you prefer to pay. Hosted systems put the phone switch in the cloud with a monthly fee; on-premises systems keep equipment in your building that you own. ETG sells and supports both, and will recommend the one that fits rather than the one that pays best.

Yes. Call (814) 898-1400 for a free consultation and on-site demo of ESI phones.

Call ETG’s service line at (814) 898-1400. ETG handles system outage recovery and repairs existing phone systems quickly, including systems installed by other vendors.

Programming changes, carrier cut-overs, outage recovery, system reprogramming, employee extension moves, greeting re-recording, staff training, voicemail and auto attendant setup, and extended wiring.

Yes. ETG supplies Bluetooth headsets that work with ESI desk phones, and music-on-hold systems. Mention them when you request a quote.

SIP trunking delivers your phone lines over an internet connection instead of physical phone-company circuits. There are no circuit boxes to maintain, and you pay only for the number of simultaneous calls you need instead of a bundle of analog lines or a partly used T1 or PRI.

Often, yes. ESI SIP trunks work with ESI systems and with other SIP-capable phone systems. You can start with as few as two lines and add more as you grow.

In most cases, yes. Business numbers can generally be ported to a new carrier or hosted provider. ETG handles carrier cut-overs so your lines move over with as little downtime as possible.

ETG works with the major hosted VoIP providers, including RingCentral, Vonage, Nextiva and Toshiba VIPedge, as well as SIP, PRI, T1 and analog (POTS) line services.

It starts with an on-site assessment of your building, your work environment and the areas you need covered. From that, ETG recommends cameras, recording equipment and storage that fit, without selling you features you won’t use.

Yes. ETG services a wide range of camera systems. We can set up DVRs and NVRs, add storage, replace cameras and upgrade firmware and head units on your existing system.

ETG installs Uniview IP cameras and recorders and services Titanium Series, Speco, TVI systems and more, including NDAA-compliant equipment.

Yes. License-plate cameras capture plates clearly day and night and can work with allow and block lists to open a gate automatically for approved vehicles.

Yes. The cameras ETG installs use infrared and low-light sensors to record clear video in darkness, and some models add a warning light and speaker to scare off intruders.

Yes. ETG installs dual-camera video doorbells that record both the visitor and packages at the door, send alerts to a smartphone app and record to your camera system.

A DVR records from analog or HD-over-coax (TVI) cameras wired directly to it. An NVR records from IP cameras over a network, usually powered through the same cable (PoE). ETG installs and services both and can help you decide which fits your building and existing wiring.

NDAA-compliant cameras and recorders don’t use components from manufacturers restricted by Section 889 of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act. Government agencies, contractors and many other organizations require them. ETG offers NDAA-compliant options.

Yes. ETG installs ESI Access door entry with badge, PIN or two-factor entry, scheduled locking, remote unlock and access history, and plans it together with the cabling, cameras and phones in your building.

Yes, with ESI Access and a compatible ESI desk phone. A visitor presses the call button on the video door station, you see them on the phone’s screen, and you unlock the door from the phone or a smartphone.

Yes. ESI’s cloud panic button and silent alarm call button send one-press alerts to 911, law enforcement and on-site staff at once, with location details. ESI designs the silent alarm to support Alyssa’s Law requirements. ETG can help a school or district plan it.

Fiber, CAT6, coax, paging, camera and security cabling, designed and installed to industry standards for new construction and existing buildings, run overhead or underground.

Yes. ETG runs direct-burial and fiber cable underground and overhead between buildings. Where trenching isn’t practical, a point-to-point wireless link is another option.

Your phones, computers, cameras and access control all ride on it. Poorly planned or installed cabling causes intermittent problems that are hard to trace and expensive to fix later. A standards-based design is easier to troubleshoot and leaves room to grow.

Yes. ETG cleans up server rooms and tangled wiring closets: re-terminating, labeling and organizing cabling so equipment is easier to service and problems are easier to trace.

Yes. ETG installs overhead paging and intercom systems for warehouses, schools, hotels, hospitals, auto dealerships and anywhere else you need a public address system.

Sound masking adds a soft, engineered background sound through ceiling speakers. It reduces noise distractions and makes nearby conversations unintelligible, improving speech privacy and comfort in open offices.

No. White noise has equal energy across all frequencies and sounds harsh. Sound masking is shaped around the frequencies of human speech, so it covers conversations while staying comfortable to work in.

Yes. ETG can show you exactly how sound masking works and put you in touch with customers who already use it.

Yes. ETG technicians come to your location in person when a problem needs hands on equipment, and they help keep your network infrastructure running smoothly.

Yes. ETG installs and works with Ubiquiti and TP-Link Omada ceiling and outdoor access points, managed centrally, including a separate guest network with a sign-in page.

Often, yes. A point-to-point wireless link beams a fast network connection between buildings in sight of each other, with weatherproof radios built for outdoor use.

Yes, and we do it often. National integrators, equipment vendors, manufacturers and IT firms hire ETG as their local crew when they have a customer, branch or job site in the Erie region. We’re glad to help.

Cabling and fiber installations, phone system and camera installs, access control, overhead paging, site surveys, on-site service calls and dispatch for your customers, and the documentation to go with it.

No. On contract work we’re your hands on site. The customer relationship stays yours.

Call (814) 898-1400 or email etg@etgcommunications.com with the scope, the site and the timing. We’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right crew for the work and what it will take.

Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday. For a phone system outage, call (814) 898-1400.

ETG is rated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 8 reviews. Customers mention knowledgeable technicians, quick response, patience with setup questions, and saving business lines other technicians couldn’t fix.

Call (814) 898-1400, email etg@etgcommunications.com, or use the contact form on the Contact Us page. Tell us what you have today and what you’d like it to do.

Yes. Call ETG to set up a consultation. For phone systems, that includes a free on-site demo of ESI phones.

ETG hires communications technicians from time to time, including people new to the field. Send a resume to etg@etgcommunications.com to be kept on file.