Rural Telecommunications articles from March 2002

Rural Telecommunications archives from March 2002

What's in a name? (From the Editor).(National Telecommunications Cooperative)(Association)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 1, 2002... If you haven't already noticed it, take another look at the cover of this magazine. Do you see it? NTCA has changed its name to the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association. While the move impacts only one word of the organization's...

Pizza to go. (Short Takes).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Putting a new twist on fast food, Donatos Pizzeria, a McDonalds Corp. subsidiary, is the first retailer to sign on to a new mobile shopping technology that allows customers to order their eats wirelessly. Stemming from an alliance between...

Wireless versus wireline. (Short Takes).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... As the popularity of wireless continues to grow, wireline is feeling the impact. According to a recent study by IDC, 10 million access lines were displaced by wireless at year-end 2001, primarily by consumers choosing a wireless service over...

Homebuyers seek 'wired' houses. (Short Takes).(speech by Robert Burich)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A two-car garage and extra storage space just doesn't cut it anymore for the American homebuyer. Today's prospective home shoppers have information technology on their minds as they seek out the perfect abode, and that puts wired in-home...

The buddy system. (Short Takes).(employee referral programs cost-effective)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Employee referral programs (ERPs) are one of the most cost-effective recruiting methods available to find qualified candidates, according to a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Based on responses from 586...

Another day dawns in Washington. (Perspective).(legislation for rural telecommunications industry)(Brief Article)(Column)
March 1, 2002... As one year drew to a close and a new calendar opened, new meaning came to the Charles Dickens adage of these being the best and worst of times. Technology is evolving and accessible to independent carriers; little noteworthy...

In today's competitive environment, what does it take to keep customers happy? (First Person).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... "Good service, a friendly smile and an accessible office are essential to keeping customers happy," said Mary Linker, office manager of New Windsor Telephone Co. (New Windsor, Ill.). "In addition to good service," Garry MacCormack, manager...

Senator Max Baucus: Making a difference in rural America.
March 1, 2002... To Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), cooperatives are the "lifeblood" of rural communities. "Co-ops represent economic growth, energy, enthusiasm, community development, community spirit, cohesion. It's the sense of the community that makes them...

The exchange game: Overbuilding versus acquisition.
March 1, 2002... It's happening in the Dakotas. It's happening in Utah, Alaska, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky and elsewhere in rural America. Now that the regulatory rules are falling into place, millions of access lines may be up for grabs. And rural local...

Surviving the business cycle: Keeping the batteries charged.(preparing for down times during prosperous times)
March 1, 2002... As any economist worth his or her Laffer curve will tell you, there are three certainties in this life: death, taxes--and the business cycle. For as long as man has attempted to measure his economy, periods of expansion invariably have been...

A case study: Central Texas Communications takes on LMDS.(local multipoint distribution service )
March 1, 2002... For years, broadband wireless has been hyped as the solution for rural markets. Logically speaking, wireless is the ideal method to serve the local loop in areas where customers are scattered and landline build-outs are expensive. However,...

Customer care: Keeping the competition at bay.(handling competition)(Column)
March 1, 2002... It's tough being a telephone company these days. It seems even in the most remote areas of the country the competitive landscape can be daunting. Suddenly you have competitors on every corner. To make matters worse, many customers are becoming...

NTCA 2002 Annual Meeting & Expo: Strength in unity.(National Telephone Cooperative Association's name changed to National Telecommunications Cooperative Association)
March 1, 2002... Strength in unity: That was the theme that permeated throughout NTCA's 48th Annual Meeting & Expo, as thousands of attendees gathered in Anaheim, Calif., February 10 -- 14 to glean insights from leading industry experts and view the latest in...

Expo '02 Internet portals showcase community-based solutions. (NTCA 2002 Annual Meeting & Expo).(National Telecommunications Cooperative Association; new portal software from Goldpoint, InfoAvenue and NewStreets)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... More than 80 companies displayed their telecommunications solutions at NTCA's EXPO '02, held during the association's 48th Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., February 10 -- 14. From the switch to the local loop, from DSL (digital subscriber...

The state of the association: Following is the state of the association speech given by executive vice president Michael E. Brunner at NTCA's 48th Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. (NTCA 2002 Annual Meeting & Expo).(National Telecommunications Cooperative Association)(Transcript)
March 1, 2002... Welcome to the 48th Annual Meeting of NTCA. It's so good to see you. It's great to be alive. It's great to live in the United States of America. I thank God every day for the blessings we have. As you know, we canceled the fall conference...

Associate member lifetime achievement award: Conley Cathey, CHR Solutions, Dallas, Texas. (Annual Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Conley Cathey, who is president of industry relations for CHR Solutions, was a founding member and past chairman of NTCA's Associate Member Advisory Council. Cathey currently serves on the board of directors for NTCA's Foundation for Rural...

Heroism award: Troy Maas, Consolidated Telcom, Dickinson, N.D. (Annual Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... An engineer at Consolidated, Troy Mass, in an act of selflessness and heroism, donated one of his kidneys to his father, who had been on an organ-donor list for nearly a year. The surgery, which took place April 19, 2000, was a success, and...

Key employee: Rhonda Dukart, Consolidated Telcom, Dickinson, N.D. (Annual Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... As marketing and public relations manager for consolidated, Rhonda Dukart is responsible for customer service issues, as well as public relations and marketing efforts. Having long demonstrated her commitment to excellence, Dukart received...

Best Subscriber Communications Program: John Hoffmann, Gervais Telephone Co., Gervais, Ore. (Annual Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... John Hoffman, manager of Gervais Telephone, successfully created and implemented bilingual materials for the town's Hispanic population. Gervais offers numerous services, the most popular being long-distance phone service to Mexico. Among its...

Marketing achievement: Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative, Bemidji, Minn. (Annual Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... As marketing supervisor, Brian Bissonette developed a multifaceted marketing program that was instrumental in the expansion of the company's CLEC project. His strategy included print and radio ads, direct mall and personal contact with...

Management achievement: F. Thomas Rowland, North Central Telephone Cooperative, Lafayette, Tenn. (Annual Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In his 15 years with North Central Telephone, manager Tom Rowland has been key in forging partnerships to offer cellular, long-distance, Internet and other services. His management and leadership abilities have helped turn the company into a...

Director life achievement: Richard T. Hoge, Pembroke Telephone Cooperative, Pembroke, Va. (Annual Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A member of the board of directors since the 1960s, Richard Hoge has helped transform Pembroke Telephone into a successful community-based corporation. His perseverance and innovative commitment to excellence exemplifies the leadership that the...

Manager, life achievement: Clyde E. Eskridge, Mid Century Telephone Co-operative, Canton, Ill. (Annual Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... With a career in telecommunications that spans half a century, Clyde Eskridge has led efforts to introduce new technology to the cooperative. Under his tutelage, Mid Century Telephone was the first co-op to: offer one-party system-wide service;...

Amendments & Resolutions.
March 1, 2002... RESOLUTIONS 1. RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY GOALS WHEREAS, a primary NTCA objective is to actively protect and promote the interests of its rural community-based local exchange carrier members, and their subscribers, before the...

Sully Buttes rises to occasion for vice president's visit: The White House called us up and wanted to know if we could put high-speed lines in the pheasant-hunting lodge that Cheney would be staying at. (Member Focus).(Column)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Imagine this: A communications director calls your telco with a special request. The director says that his boss will be in your area during his annual pheasant-hunting trip, and he is relying on your telco to accommodate his needs for a wide...

New rules: Government as telecom competitor: Government-based competitors are an unlikely panacea to cure the nation's so-called digital divide. (A World from the States).(Column)
March 1, 2002... Traditionally, government has chosen to leave the telecommunications business alone-at least as a direct marketplace competitor. While embracing active roles as regulator and policy director, it generally has opted away from hand-to-hand combat...

Shaping a better telecom tomorrow. (Executive Viewpoint).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 1, 2002... Several large incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and some policy-makers suggest that the nation's rural areas are devoid of advanced communications capabilities. In many areas, this may very well be the case. However, for NTCA member...