Rural Telecommunications articles from November 2002

Rural Telecommunications archives from November 2002

Certain uncertainty.(From the Editor)
November 1, 2002... Seems once we entered this brave new century, the world changed--quickly and without warning. In the aftermath of September 11 and ongoing alerts and threats, we've been forced to re-assess our personal safety. And in the wake of unprecedented...

Capital credits contest.(Short Takes)
November 1, 2002... Throughout its 50-year history, West River Telecom (WRT) [Hazen, N.D.] has refunded more than $19 million in capital credits to its members. This year, WRT mailed out capital credit checks totaling $2.5 million. The cooperative also took a...

Making a comeback.(Short Takes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Despite the hard hit small businesses took in 2001 with the economic downturn, the outlook for the future is heartening, According to In-Stat/MDR, a high-tech market research firm, small businesses are expected to increase by about 3% in 2002....

Digging technology.(Short Takes)
November 1, 2002... In a unique archeological dig last year in Stillwater, Minn., archeologists uncovered elements of an ancient civilization, including artifacts denoting transportation, clothing and shelter. The finds were documented and opened for viewing and...

An ongoing battle.(Short Takes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... While in the 1990s companies struggled to hire and retain employees with specific technical skills, today they wrestle with finding and hanging on to their best employees. A recent study by The conference Board, a nonprofit organization that...

Identical support rule unfair to rural ILECs.(Perspective)(incumbent local exchange carrier's)
November 1, 2002... It is time to eliminate the identical support rule. This inequitable rule allows for the disbursement of high-cost universal service support and interstate common line support (ICLS) to a competitive eligible telecommunications carrier (CETC)...

How have the recent telecom bankruptcies impacted your business?(First Person)
November 1, 2002... We're in the process of determining what the long-term impact will be. The short-term impact is obviously cash flow," said Steven Barker, general manager of Delhi Telephone Co. (Delhi, N.Y.). "As a utility service, it's a matter of figuring out...

Telecom bankruptcies: a high price to pay for competition.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2002... The beleaguered telecom industry was dealt a harsh blow on July 21 when WorldCom Inc., the nation's second largest long-distance carrier, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. WorldCom's filing, and the precipitous announcement that company auditors...

Top 20 things to know about the WorldCom bankruptcy.(Telecom Bankruptcies)
November 1, 2002... 1 You are bound by your contracts with WorldCom, despite its bankruptcy. The automatic stay--the key statutory protection afforded to WorldCom when it fried its bankruptcy case--prohibits you from canceling or changing agreements with...

Missed message: the rise and fall of telecom.
November 1, 2002... Throughout the course of its history, America's optimism and pride in its ingenuity and resilience have not just existed, but have flourished to near mythical proportions. Indeed, in the extraordinary era in which we live today, more than ever,...

Supervising the supervisor: avoiding liability for the boss' actions.
November 1, 2002... A well-worn adage goes something like this: Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you very far. The same can be said about worrying over the potential liabilities your employees can create...

ISPs beware third-party liability for cyber wrongs.
November 1, 2002... In 2000, an 18-year-old college dropout wrote the code for a file-sharing program that not only revolutionized the music industry, but the legal world as well. This program, entitled Napster, allowed users to swap music files directly with...

NTCA 2003 Annual Meeting & EXPO: Phoenix, Arizona.
November 1, 2002... February 2-5 * Phoenix Civic Plaza Unlimited Horizons... Ultimate Learning Experience Phoenix, the "Valley of the Sun," will be the site of NTCA's 2003 Annual Meeting & EXPO, scheduled for February 2-5. Held in the spacious Phoenix...

No small potatoes: Idaho telcos invest big in broadband: the Syringa network provides an excellent example of the benefits reaped from partnerships between private industry and government.(A Word From The States)
November 1, 2002... When the state of Idaho is mentioned, what comes to mind? Potatoes? The Lewis and Clark trail? Technology mecca? Although the latter may not have been first to come to mind, Syringa Networks, a consortium of 12 Idaho local telecommunications...

Hiring high-tech help: pick the wrong consultant and your bottom line will take a hit.(Business Matters)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... If your business is like most others, your profit depends largely on your computer. How can you operate efficiently without a system that tracks your customer contact information, revenues, inventory, and profit and loss? No wonder you...

Winning the game: the difference between managers and coaches: what would your employees' response be if you asked them whether they thought they had a coach at your company?(Work Force)
November 1, 2002... If you were to review the memories of your youth, chances are there was a teacher, friend, family acquaintance or a sports coach whose name you still remember. You've interacted with scores of people over the years and their names and faces...

Universal service remains cornerstone of NTCA advocacy: key issues, such as the future of universal service, have just as much significance to rural telephony today as it did 10 years ago.(Executive Viewpoint)
November 1, 2002... The telecommunications industry is in a constant state of flux. From technological breakthroughs to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decisions and congressional legislation, the issues change daily. However, issues core to the continued...