Rural Telecommunications articles from November 2004

Rural Telecommunications archives from November 2004

Job satisfaction.(FROM the Editor)
November 1, 2004... While most companies, at least the ones that plan to be around for awhile, put a great deal of time and attention into attracting, retaining and making customers happy, some neglect to apply that same nurturing philosophy to their employees....

The broadening of broadband.(SHORT Takes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Broadband access is making notable strides as Internet penetration rises among adults and permeates through homes, work places, schools and libraries. A recent study found that in the past several months, online users have come to number 156...

Making reporter contacts count.(SHORT Takes)
November 1, 2004... Most small companies lack the resources of large public relations firms to get their message across to the media. But with a few well-thought-out steps, companies can run an effective media relations campaign on a shoestring budget, according...

Women business owners: higher risk-takers than most.(SHORT Takes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Women business owners who want to substantially expand their businesses are willing to take the risks necessary to obtain financing, and two-thirds of capital-seekers surveyed have been 100% successful in previous efforts to obtain the growth...

HR snapshot--trust and loyalty.(SHORT Takes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A recent survey measuring employee trust and organizational loyalty conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Career Journal.com, a Web site of the Wall Street Journal, found that, in general, most employees believe the...

Taking stock as Congress nears the '11th hour'.(Perspective)
November 1, 2004... Congress is like the pending eruption of Mt. Saint Helens, a lot of noise and bluster for most of the two-year sessions that comprise each Congress, but no real activity on the tough issues until the clock is ticking on the countdown to...

How do you gauge employee satisfaction at your company?(FIRST Person)
November 1, 2004... ITS Telecommunications System (Indiantown, Fla.) maintains an open door policy, according to human resources administrator Mary Ann Holt. "Being a small company certainly offers an advantage for our 21 employees. Because we consider ourselves a...

FCC commissioner Kevin Martin making an impact on rural America.
November 1, 2004... FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin hails from Waxhaw, N.C., a small rural town just outside of Charlotte. Growing up, his home address was Rural Route 3. Martin realized at a young age the importance of communications, as he observed his parents'...

Employee surveys: taking the pulse of worker satisfaction.
November 1, 2004... Increased productivity, lower employee turnover, greater customer satisfaction and higher revenues--most companies would agree that these are all worthy business goals, but they may be surprised at the common denominator that produces these...

A look at the new over time regulations.
November 1, 2004... On August 23, the most significant overhaul of federal overtime regulations in more than 50 years took effect. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) initially proposed the changes in March 2003 to modernize the tests for determining whether an...

Pay for performance: keeping up with changing times.
November 1, 2004... The telecommunications industry has been going through some dramatic shifts in the past several years, and even more changes are likely in the next five years. Competition, CLEC start-ups, video, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and many...

NTCA 2005 Annual Meeting & EXPO: February 13-16 San Antonio Texas.(National Telephone Cooperative Association)(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... The Real Triple Play... NTCA, Your Customers and You Join NTCA in San Antonio for the 2005 Annual Meeting. Few places offer so much history, grace, romance and charm wrapped in one picturesque package. Enjoy the river walk, with...

Steering clear of antitrust violations.(BUSINESS Matters)
November 1, 2004... The antitrust laws of the United States are designed to preserve the American system of competition by promoting fair competitive practices and to ensure that competition among businesses is not restrained by unlawful agreements among...

Equitable policies protect against costly lawsuits.(WORK Force)(cases of sex discrimination)
November 1, 2004... Here we go again: Just when it seemed employers were getting gender-based discrimination under control, three high-profile news stories have moved the issue onto the front burner. Wal-Mart is hit with the largest workplace-bias lawsuit in...

The ins and outs of ADA.(RISK Manager)(Americans with Disabilities Act )
November 1, 2004... The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal antidiscrimination statute. The intended goal of the act is to remove barriers that would prevent qualified people with disabilities from experiencing and enjoying the same opportunities...

Making history with the Telecom Act rewrite.(EXECUTIVE Viewpoint)
November 1, 2004... In 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, making the impossible a reality. Twenty years later, families in East and West Germany united as the Berlin Wall came down, marking the end of a 28-year separation. What do these events have in...

American life in 1954.
November 1, 2004... Though only a half-century ago, in retrospect 1954 seems worlds removed from today. The United States was embarking on a period of peace and prosperity. War hero-turned-president Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the first half of his first term as...

Reflecting back on the early years.
November 1, 2004... I CAN RECALL QUITE A FEW MOMENTOUS OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS THAT HAVE SHAPED MY LIFE AND SO MANY OTHERS AROUND ME. BUT NONE ARE MORE SIGNIFICANT AND FAR-REACHING THAN THE FIRST CONFERENCE I ATTENDED IN SAN FRANCISCO OF THE NATIONAL...

Looking ahead at the years to come.
November 1, 2004... FIFTY YEARS AGO, WHEN NTCA EMERGED ON THE SCENE, PLAIN OLD TELEPHONE SERVICE WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME. THE ASSOCIATION HAD EIGHT MEMBERS, AND CONCEPTS SUCH AS WIRELESS PHONES AND THE INTERNET WERE RESERVED FOR SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES. TIMES...

Where it all began: eight telcos and a vision.(THE VISION)
November 1, 2004... GROWTH IS, GENERALLY SPEAKING, A GOOD THING. WE URGE OUR CHILDREN TO EAT THEIR VEGETABLES BECAUSE DOING SO WILL HELP THEM GROW. WE ATTEND SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES TO GROW PROFESSIONALLY. WE ABANDON STAGNANT RELATIONSHIPS WHEN WE'VE...

Advocacy: championing for rural America.
November 1, 2004... BORN OF A NEED TO PRESENT A UNIFIED VOICE ON BEHALF OF SMALL RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS, NTCA'S UNDERLYING MISSION ALWAYS HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON ADVOCACY. AS THE ASSOCIATION COMMEMORATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY, IT ONLY SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO...

Legal & industry: fighting for member interests.
November 1, 2004... THE ROLE OF THE LEGAL AND INDUSTRY (L&I) DIVISION OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN A FIGHTING ONE. L&I WAS BORN IN 1964, WHEN NTCA LEADERSHIP DECIDED THAT THEY NEEDED AN IN-HOUSE COMBATANT TO REPRESENT MEMBERS IN INDUSTRY STRUGGLES. Leadership...

NTCA 1954-2004: looking back on a proud history and ahead to a promising future.(National Telephone Cooperative Association)
November 1, 2004... This article contains excerpts of NTCA's oral history as told by Jim Bass, the association's past board president and present general counsel. Bass shared his memories of NTCA's early years during an interview conducted June 18, 1998. One...

Services Management Corp.: marking the benefits of SMC.
November 1, 2004... TECHNICALLY, SMC (SERVICES MANAGEMENT CORPORATION) IS A FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION WHOLLY OWNED BY NTCA WITH CORPORATE OFFICES IN VIRGINIA. BUT TO THE NTCA MEMBERSHIP, SMC IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES THE DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATION FOR THE...

A few closing thoughts.
November 1, 2004... IN 1954, RURAL AMERICA WAS STILL RURAL IN MANY WAYS. THE POPULATION MIGRATION THAT STARTED DURING WORLD WAR II HEADED TOWARD THE CITIES. ALTHOUGH URBAN AMERICA WAS THRIVING AT THAT TIME, IT DIDN'T TAKE A VISIONARY TO SEE THAT PROGRESS IN...

Thank you.(sponsors of National Telephone Cooperative Association)
November 1, 2004... NTCA THANKS OUR GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SPONSORS WHO GENEROUSLY HELPED CELEBRATE OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY. PREMIUM ($50,000) Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative (RTFC) 2201 Cooperative Way, Herndon, VA 20171 Phone: 703-709-6700; Fax:...

NTCA leadership 1954-2004.
November 1, 2004... Executives 1985-Present Michael E. Brunner, Chief Executive Officer [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1962-1985 David C. Fullarton, Executive Vice President [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1958-1962 Morton Langstaff,...