The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors is looking to update the county’s phone system in the coming fiscal year.

The Board heard proposals from two communication companies Tuesday and will be deciding which bid to recommend at the next Board meeting, scheduled for July 20.

The first proposal was made by In-Telecom Consulting, a communications company based in Slidell, at a price of $256,000, said County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin.

Using their Avaya system, In-Telecom spokesman Doug Vernotzy said the county would have the capacity to install Voive oVer Internet Protocol Systems in up to 150 sites with 3,200 phones on one unit.

“You’re never going to outgrow this,” said Vernotzy.

Maintenance costs were included as part of the proposal, including regular firmware updates.

The system would operate through Internet connections, rather than phone towers, said Vernotzy.

In-Telecom was able to install their system in the city of Slidell in just 24 hours, and has been operating for about 6 months, said Vernotzy.

Vernotzy also said the Mississippi state government was operating off their system.

The second presentation was from Sandy Turnage, the chief operating officer and director of engineering for the Pileum Corporation based in Jackson.

Turnage presented the Board with a Cisco based solution at a cost of $579,000.

Their proposal also included a maintenance plan, said Board President Sandy Kane Smith.

No decision has been made yet, but the Board is reviewing both plans, said Lumpkin.

By the next Board meeting, supervisors hope to clarify which proposal is the most beneficial to the county and check into the county’s available funds, said Smith.

Lumpkin estimated that the current system has been in place for about 15 years, and Smith said it could be close to 20 years old.

The Boars is looking into replacing their old system because the county has been having problems with the public getting in touch with certain departments, said Smith.

The Department of Human Services office in Poplarville has been one of the most problematic areas because more often than not their phones don’t ring, despite calls from the public coming in, said Smith.

Smith also said the county court system has experienced problems with their phone system.

The county has put off updating the system for years as the problem has gotten worse, said Smith.

“The system we have now is outdated,” said Lumpkin. “We can’t get parts for it anymore.”

One department has been given a temporary system because the county hasn’t been able to buy parts to fix it, said Lumpkin.

After a decision has been made, it could take between 60-90 days to plan and implement installation of the new system, said Lumpkin.

The Board is taking precautions to ensure the best investment for the county, said Smith.

“We are going through everything with a fine toothed comb,” said Smith.