what’s challenging your business?
Whether it’s navigating new projects, overcoming technical hurdles, or finding the right resources, we want to hear about it.
Let’s find a solution together.
Founded in 1997, Tierzero began as a startup struggling with slow and unreliable internet. This experience fueled our mission to become a different kind of ISP, offering businesses exceptional service and taking full responsibility for their connections. Over 27 years, we’ve grown from basic internet to comprehensive communication and IT solutions, but our core value remains unchanged: “We keep you connected” - it’s not just a slogan, it’s who we are.
Tierzero began in 1997 as an “Internet” startup developing a business plan to launch an online game. One of our first tasks in setting up our office was establishing a high speed internet connection. Back then “high speed” Internet was delivered over copper lines built on a 1960’s protocol called a T1. The only way to get a line was to lease one from the phone company that connected the office to an Internet Service Provider where the Internet could be accessed. The challenge was getting the old copper line protocol to work with the newer Internet protocols.
Business high speed Internet was new and there was little in the way of standardized processes and best practices. The way it got installed depended on what company and techs you were dealing with. The challenge was equipment needed to be configured at the office, the telephone company and the ISP so they all talked to each other. What often happened was each of the parties insisted on their way of doing things and pointed the finger at the others. This caused major delays in installing the service and further delays making repairs.
The clock was ticking and we needed to get our office online. We were getting really frustrated trying to referee a turf war. Everyone seemed satisfied blaming someone else. We began to realize that the only people interested in getting the end-to-end service up and running was us. This led us to wonder if other companies were as frustrated as we were. We checked around and found out our experience was very common.
After doing some research we decided to launch our own ISP dedicated to providing high speed Internet access to businesses. Our competitive edge was designing a network that we could completely control allowing us to take full accountability for the service to our customers. We eliminated all finger pointing, reduced the installation time by months, lowered the price in half, and proactively monitored the lines so we could catch problems before they happened. We never wanted to tell a customer, “this isn’t our problem.” And it wasn’t long before we gained a huge fan base of customers opting out of dealing with the “telephone” company.
Fast forward to 2023, as we celebrated 25 years in business, we decommissioned our last T1 internet service. An end of an era but as the preceding years and decades marched on we expanded into connecting multi-site businesses, 10 gigabit fiber optic Internet access, fixed wireless, VoIP telephone systems, cyber security and managed IT services. But the core value that the company was built on, the reason why customers have stayed for decades, is that we take full responsibility for the service we provide and don’t make excuses. “We keep you connected” is not a slogan or tagline. It’s our legacy and the bedrock of every customer interaction.
We believe it’s our job to make the lives of business owners and IT managers less complicated and deliver an elegant solution that works with the least amount of hassle.
John started his career in Telecom and Technology in 1982 at age 19 where he was a central office installer for GTE. Later he studied computer science and electronics and at age 25 started his first company in 1988 building and repairing personal computers that expanded to 20 employees and 3 locations. In 1997 he-co founded and launched Tierzero as a B2B Internet Service Provider.
I've been in sales for over 35 years and found a home here at Tierzero over 18 years ago. I love being in a place where care for the customer is the number one priority. When I'm not helping people solve their technical challenges, I enjoy spending time with my children and wife. I also devote time being of service as a Little League Coach and Board Member.
A seasoned telecommunications professional, I thrive on the constant evolution of the industry. When I'm not immersed in the latest advancements, you'll find me at the gym, hitting the trails, or cherishing quality time with family.
I have 13 years of accounting and operational support experience across different industries. In my spare time I do fiber art and spend time with family.
I love working at Tierzero. Everyone here is super awesome. Always learning something new everyday.
I'm a driven IT professional who continues to expand my knowledge in order to grow & move up in this field. I am always willing to learn new things to be able to provide the best support possible to our customers from low voltage to more complex provisioning tasks.
15 years in customer service, and never stopped learning.
I am an IT professional with 7 years of experience in various parts of the industry. I strive for excellence and learning new skills within the fast growing field. When not in the office you can find me rollerblading at the park.
At Tierzero we focus on one goal – delivering no hassle voice and data to Southern California businesses. We insist on making sure every single client is not just satisfied, but happy. Your expectations are our responsibility.
Tierzero has grown and prospered mostly by word of mouth. Our customers don’t recommend us for empty slogans or mission statements. They do so because they know the power of having a vendor that’s got their back.
We welcome you to experience our no hassle promise.
John Carter
Founder and CEO
I’m passionate about exceeding customer expectations for internet and phone service.
I always try to put myself in the shoes of our customers when solving their problems.
We believe our customers shouldn’t have to worry about their service. We know our customers count on us and we’re accountable for that.
Being there exactly when you need us is our idea of good customer service. We’re staffed 24/7 with friendly knowledgeable people who can handle your request when you need it.
This is a customer favorite. Whether it’s your problem or ours, when we call you before you notice a problem, you’ll be an instant fan.
Most of our products are flat rate billing and wherever possible we include all the equipment you need to make our service work for you. We don’t like surprises in business and figured you don’t either.
We are the largest wholesale customer for the biggest telephone company in California. We aren’t a reseller. You won’t be dealing with a middle-man. We operate our own network out of our own Telco-grade facilities.
Just because we aren’t the phone company doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice reliability, quality or stability. We use the same telco-grade equipment as AT&T and Verizon and we operate out of the same facilities.
Our data center, customer care center and field technicians are located in downtown Pasadena, CA. We maintain a local presence to avoid communication breakdowns and delays in solving customer issues.
When we provide Voice we run it over the T1 / T3 / EoC / Metro Fiber Internet line that we provide and manage. That keeps your Voice on-net and off the Internet.
Telephone bills are confusing, some think intentionally. Our billing is designed to make it clear at a glance exactly what you are getting for your money.
We’ve been offering business-class telecommunication services in Los Angeles for nearly twenty years and many of our first customers are still with us after all these years.
Worried whether we’ll be here tomorrow? No need. We’ve been doing this since 1997 and debt free since 2001. The company is 100% owned and run by the original founder.
