Rural Telecommunications articles from January 2003

Rural Telecommunications archives from January 2003

Happy new year! (From the Editor).
January 1, 2003... It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Seems many of us were just getting used to writing 2002, and now the last digit of the year has flipped on us. 2002 was "a year to remember" for many reasons, not the least of which was...

Teen talk. (Short Takes).(teen use of wireless phones surveyed)
January 1, 2003... Teens would like to talk more, but wireless service plans cut their conversations short, according to a recent survey by Market Trends. Most of the teens surveyed (ages 13 to 17) spend more than five minutes on their average wireless telephone...

Puppy love. (Short Takes).(MatchPet.com bows as online pet dating service )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Seems the Lonely Harts Club has expanded its membership to include man's best friend. A new online service promises to find mates for pets through a personal ads-approach for pooches [www.matchpet.com]. Through MatchPet.com, owners seeking pals...

Giving credit. (Short Takes).(tactics form managing credit risks outlined)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... As the sluggish economy is compelling many Americans to tighten their belts, businesses are clamping down on bad credit risks. A recent survey by the National Association of Credit Management (NACM) found that more than half (52%) of the...

FIIH going strong. (Short Takes).(fiber to home installations expected to increase 330% in 2003)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Installation of fiber to the home (FTTH) is expected to jump 330% in 2003, from 72,000 homes passed to 315,000 homes passed, and that growth is likely to reach between 800,000 and 1.4 million homes in 2004, according to a study by the research...

'Feeling is believing'. (Short Takes).(tactile graphic display developed for electronic communications by blind persons)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Computer scientists and engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration, have created a tactile graphic display that allows people who are blind or...

Show me the (wireless) money. (Perspective).(telecommunications companies reveal plans for entering wirleless market in NTCA survey)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... In 2001, NTCA's annual wireless report found that rural telcos that responded to the survey were having a difficult time gaining access to spectrum, whether through the FCC's auction process or other means. As a result, more than three-quarters...

What should the new Congress know about running a telecom business in rural America? (First Person).(telco executives answer question)
January 1, 2003... "The economic challenges that rural carriers face in trying to deliver service and new technologies, such as broadband, and the importance of the universal service fund and cost-recovery mechanisms, such as those that are in place through...

New territory: entering the CLEC. (Market).(small telephone companies and co-ops weigh entering the competitive local exchange carrier market)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... For many small telephone companies and cooperatives, entering the competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) industry is a daunting prospect. It's as if they've run a successful, thriving ferry service on a small, calm lake for years, but now...

Changing seats: the new look of Congress.(results of 2002 election analyzed)
January 1, 2003... As the dust settled on the 2002 midterm elections, President Bush emerged victorious after staging an aggressive nationwide campaign on behalf of Republican candidates. The president's mantra of "Give me a Congress I can work with," struck home...

Retooling the 1996 Telecom Act?
January 1, 2003... "A landmark piece of legislation." "The dawning of a new era of affordability and choice." "A watershed event in our history." SUCH WERE THE PRONOUNCEMENTS--PERHAPS ILLUSIONS--OF EUPHORIC POLICY-MAKERS, CONSUMER ADVOCATES, the...

Progress report fiber across rural America.(fiber to the home )
January 1, 2003... You could call it the stealth technology. Although digital subscriber line (DSL) and cable reach millions of customers across the country, fiber to the home, or FTTH, still counts its customers in the tens of thousands and is largely unknown...

Going all wireless fad or future?
January 1, 2003... Jimmy, a recent graduate and newly hired accountant, is dashing to work. He was out late last night and overslept this morning. Now, despite his best efforts to get out of the house quickly, he clearly is going to be late, and that means having...

ROW and broadband: a union of necessity; in recent years, carriers--in an attempt to educate "the powers that be" that ready and affordable access to ROW is crucial to deployment--have brought the topic to the forefront. (Business Matters).(rights-of-way)
January 1, 2003... Broadband. Rights-of-way Which term summons to mind the unlimited scope of today's technologies? Well, if you're on the same wavelength as most people, it's probably not the latter. Everyone's talking about broadband these days. Telecom...

Cutting edge: rural telcos dial up video. (Industry Innovator).(Twin Valley Telephone)
January 1, 2003... Although the regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs) hesitate to develop strong initiatives on the video front, there is, however, a groundswell of interest from their counterparts throughout the rural areas of North America. Many oft he...

Get ready! Frosty forecasts ahead. (Risk Manager).
January 1, 2003... Cold weather has arrived in many parts of the country, and winter conditions may cause some safety issues for your telecommunications company Major winter storms, dangerously cold temperatures and treacherous driving conditions are hazards that...

New year rings in new challenges, opportunities: moving into 2003, we do not foresee a quick end to the string of adverse regulatory and judicial decisions that have confronted the telecom sector. (Executive Viewpoint).
January 1, 2003... In 2002, a number of legislative decisions were made that will have a profound impact on the future of rural telecommunications. We are sure that 2003 will be equally as challenging and exciting, and we are prepared to meet any challenges head...