Rural Telecommunications articles from November 2008

Rural Telecommunications archives from November 2008

"Houston, we have a problem".(FROM the Editor)(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... When Tom Hanks utters the words "Houston, we have a problem" in the 1995 film "Apollo 13," your heart skips a beat. The Ron Howard production details the historic flight of Apollo 13 and the obstacles NASA faced and overcame to bring the...

Hire the strengths you lack.(SHORT Takes)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Seasoned managers know their strengths and weaknesses. Strengthening weak areas ensures that a company will grow stronger, be well balanced and more adept. But hiring strong employees may prove difficult. People who are stronger than we...

Let's watch online video.(SHORT Takes)
November 1, 2008... Arecent survey completed by market research firm InStat found that by 2012, 39% of adults in the United States are expected to have purchased or rented online video. Forecasts for 2012 also conclude that 90% of U.S. households will have access...

Next-generation 911.(SHORT Takes)
November 1, 2008... The nation's current 911 system cannot handle the text, data, images and video that are increasingly common in personal communications. As such, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Innovative Technology Administration began...

Study shows senior executives and managers are satisfied.(SHORT Takes)
November 1, 2008... The end of the year is a time when people contemplate and evaluate their goals, progress and how satisfied they are with what they are doing. A recent NFI Research study found that 82% of senior executives and managers are satisfied with their...

Where customers are talking about your business.(SHORT Takes)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... In a 2007 study by online analytical firm comScore of more than 2,000 Internet users, 24% of respondents said they looked at an online review before making an offline service purchase in the three months prior to being surveyed. The study also...

Femtocell's bright future.(SHORT Takes)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Wireless providers, recognizing that their customers are increasingly using mobile handsets at home, are looking to femtocell technology to improve service coverage indoors. The technology includes a small cellular base station that connects to...

GPS solutions get quicker.(SHORT Takes)
November 1, 2008... Consumers want to locate an answer on their cellular devices in a few seconds. GPS solutions take 30-60 seconds. Skyhook, founded in 2003 to meet increasing demands for location-based services, introduced XPS 2.0, the most advanced hybrid...

The future of rural communities.(FROM DYING TO THRIVING)
November 1, 2008... "Young people are not moving back to our rural communities due to lack of housing," piped up a gray-haired man during an economic development meeting. I respect my elders, but being the outspoken, honest person my parents raised me to be, I had...

What changes has your company made in light of higher gas prices?(FIRST Person)
November 1, 2008... The pain at the pump has fluctuated in recent weeks, and the lingering effects have left a bruise, resulting in changes at rural telcos around the country. With the hurricane season in full swing (at press time) and the dwindling supplies...

Capitalising on customer complaints.
November 1, 2008... Industry experts have said it costs five times more to get a new customer than it does to retain one. Hence the value of successfully handling customer complaints. So how do you handle difficult customers and find the proverbial silver lining...

In the fight against burdensome regulations.(A NEW ALLY)(Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996)
November 1, 2008... It's not uncommon for small telephone company executives to compare their environment to the story of David and Goliath, particularly when it comes to competition from national providers. But for small telcos-and all small businesses for that...

Evolving your company's image.(Valley Telephone Cooperative Inc)(Company overview)
November 1, 2008... Valley Telephone Cooperative Inc. (VTCI) (Raymondville, Texas) has served an 8,000-square-mile region of South Texas since 1952. Its 17 exchanges have only about 6,000 access lines. To add to the difficulties of providing telephone service in a...

A businss plan is not enough.
November 1, 2008... How would you like to have your core product, landline phone business, compared with expensive coffees or women's handbags--expendable items in a tightening economy? Truth is, for many people, the cell phone has become a "must have," with the...

Learn to adapt to different communication styles.(WORK FORCE)
November 1, 2008... Jack is a superb salesman who has developed long-term relationships with his customers over the years. One customer, Janet, recently requested a DSL installation in her home to accommodate her growing home based business. She asked Jack if the...

The biggest factor in workers' compensation.(RISK MANAGER)
November 1, 2008... Doctors say you should know your blood pressure numbers. You should know your workers' compensation number as well. Most states require employers to provide workers' compensation insurance as a protection for their employees. The workers'...

Social networks: schmooze your way to more sales.(BUSINESS Matters)
November 1, 2008... If you're like most businesses, you already use the Internet to promote sales. Maybe you have a Web site, a message board and an e-newsletter. But have you taken advantage of the Internet's fast growing social networking sites such as...

NTCA Annual Meeting & EXPO; February 8-11,2009 Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, California.(PREVIEW)
November 1, 2008... The weather outside may be frightful, but NTCA's 2009 Annual Meeting & EXPO will be delightful. Attendees who head to Long Beach Convention Center in sunny California will discover business solutions, participate in educational sessions and...

No accounting for reason.(EXECUTIVE Viewpoint)(Viewpoint essay)
November 1, 2008... At this year's Regional Meetings, a common theme emerged: extreme dissatisfaction with the universal service audits currently under way. Certainly we recognize the audits' value in ensuring the integrity of a funding mechanism that enables...