November 2009

Touchstone Energy Interview with Bob Phillips

NRTC President and CEO Bob Phillips answers questions about the steps NRTC is taking to help members meet challenges and the relationship between telecommunications and electric utilities. Watch video.

NRTC Members Awarded ARRA Funds

On Oct. 27, 2009, The Department of Energy announced that it has awarded funds to 100 projects that applied for monies through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Of the 100 projects, 18 went to members of The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC).

Congratulations to the NRTC members that received ARRA funds!

• City of Quincy, FL (NRTC Associate member)
• Cobb Electric Membership Corporation
• Cuming County Public Power District
• Denton County Electric Cooperative d/b/a CoServ Electric
• Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, Inc.
• Midwest Energy Inc.
• New Hampshire Electric Cooperative
• Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
• Powder River Energy Corporation
• Sioux Valley Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc.
• South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation
• South Mississippi Electric Power Association (SMEPA)
• Southwest Transmission Cooperative, Inc.
• Stanton County Public Power District
• Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc.
• Tri State Electric Membership Corporation
• Woodruff Electric

Sioux Valley Tells “How to Get Broadband Done”

At the upcoming National Rural Economic Developers Association (NREDA) annual conference November 8-10, 2009, Joel Brick of Sioux Valley Wireless, an NRTC member, will participate in a breakout session, “Broadband: How to Get It Done for Your Community.” The session will feature providers experienced in deploying broadband in rural areas and the benefits of broadband to community development.

Brick will also discuss his experience in deploying WiMAX in three communities in South Dakota. Sioux Valley partnered with DigitalBridge Communications for its WiMAX deployment.

Come See NRTC at TelcoTV!

NRTC staff will be attending the TelcoTV Conference and Expo November 10-12, 2009. Stop by the NRTC booth (#717) to learn more about NRTC’s newly enhanced video programming offer—TelcoVideo.

Please come see Vice President of Video Services Madeleine Forrer present on the “Channel Line-up Roadmap” from 1 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10.

We look forward to seeing you there!

White River Electric Installs Wireless Data System

White River Electric Association (WREA) provides electricity to its member-owners, who are spread across vast rural terrain. Spotted with high peaks and deep valleys surrounding Colorado's White River, the territory proves challenging for most communications systems.

"We couldn't get fiber to all of our substations in time to launch our SCADA deployment," said Randall Otwell, substation technician at WREA. "We called NRTC for their advice. They recommended the MDS radio solution, so we followed [NRTC's] recommendation."

WREA used MDS iNET-II radios, provided by NRTC, to connect its SCADA substation control software to substation collection equipment throughout their territory. This equipment united WREA's system and provided seamless communications to even its most remote substations.

"The project was challenging, especially considering that some radio paths went from one mountaintop to another, meaning the signal had to travel over 11,500 feet," said NRTC Wireless Systems Applications Specialist Rick Russell. NRTC also helped WREA set up the internal IP and LAN configurations.

"I can't emphasize enough how valuable it was to have Rick Russell on the front lines in charge of everything. It's the NRTC employees that make all the difference," added Otwell. "We're very satisfied with everything that NRTC did to help us."

NRTC’s Forrer Urges Shift in Thinking

"You may have thought of yourself as the phone company," NRTC’s Vice President of Video Services Madeleine Forrer said recently at the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) Fall Conference. "Your objective is not just to survive, but thrive. To do that, you must change your thinking. You are not just a telephone company. You are a technology service provider!"

She outlined what NRTC is doing to help rural telcos remain competitive, including:

• Launching the new TelcoVideo flexible programming offer

• Enhancing support for its video members

• Exploring new video offerings and creative bundling strategies that combine consumer electronics with telco access technologies programming offer

NRTC and DigitalBridge Bring WiMAX to Rural America

With a commitment to bring next-generation broadband to rural America, WiMAX is available to NRTC members across the country. Watch video.

NRTC Staff Engage Telco Industry at Telispire Forum

At the Telispire Fall Forum in Nashville, TN, members of the telco industry gathered to discuss the complexity and future of their wireless businesses. Several NRTC staff members presented and participated in the meeting.

Vice President of Broadband Technologies Kurt Schaubach presented on 4G, LTE and WiMAX, hoping to reduce the confusion with these growing technologies. Schaubach explained that while LTE is the expected migration path for 2G and 3G networks and WiMAX has been launched by a number of new market entrants, the two types of wireless broadband technologies are not competing. Instead, they coexist as the 4G networks that will allow broadband access anywhere.

Also presenting at the meeting was Director of Sales Mark Chambers. Understanding the importance of customer loyalty, Chambers shared six key ideas to improve customer retention. He advised that telcos be friendly and approachable, define the customer service policy, respond promptly and keep the customer informed, anticipate and meet customer needs, pay attention to detail and keep promises.

To emphasize the importance of customer loyalty, Sales and Marketing Managers Jason DiStefano and Matt Timmons participated in a panel discussion on the lifetime value of a customer. The discussion brought up the importance of focusing on a long-term vision, offering bundled services and devoting adequate time to each customer to ensure customer satisfaction.

Farmers Telecommunications Wins APEX Award

NRTC member Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative of Rainsville, AL, has won The APEX 2009 Award of Excellence for business publication design and layout. General Manager Fred Johnson said, "Communicating with our members is a top priority." The award-winning publication kept the cooperative’s 17,000 members informed about industry and community developments through its high-speed broadband Internet, which the company also uses for Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). Farmers gets the programming for its IPTV service through NRTC. Read more.

Thank You!

NRTC would like to thank all of the sponsors and co-sponsors who helped make the NRECA Regional meetings, dinners and receptions a great success!

• Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives
• Golden State Power Cooperative
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
• National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation
• New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association
• North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives
• Northeast Association of Electric Cooperatives
• Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association
• Wyoming Rural Electric Association

Write us at nrtconnects@nrtc.coop.

© 2009 NRTC
2121 Cooperative Way
Herndon, VA 20171
www.nrtc.coop

November Issue

• WildBlue Communications, Inc. to be Acquired by ViaSat, Inc.

• Touchstone Energy Interview with Bob Phillips

• NRTC Members Awarded ARRA Funds

• Sioux ValleyTells “How to Get Broadband Done”

• Come See NRTC at TelcoTV!

• White River Electric Installs Wireless Data System

• NRTC’s Forrer Urges Shift in Thinking

• NRTC and DigitalBridge Bring WiMAX to Rural America

• NRTC Staff Engage Telco Industry at Telispire Forum

• Farmers Telecommunications Wins APEX Award

• Thank You!

• Meet Regional Business Manager Mark Davis

• Where You Can See NRTC

Featured Staff Profile

Meet Regional Business Manager Mark Davis

Mark Davis has worked at NRTC since 1998 and serves as the Regional Business Manager (RBM) for electric cooperatives in the states of IL, IN, KY, OH, MI and WI, working diligently as a liaison between NRTC and rural utilities.

Prior to NRTC, Mark was a district sales manager for Data Transmission Network. He also served as general manager of Blanks Agri-Service, regional sales manager of Seald Sweet Growers Cooperative and associate farm director for Agri-Broadcasting Network.

To contact Mark, please call him at 614-395-5856 or e-mail mdavis@nrtc.coop.

Where You Can See NRTC

• Oct. 27-29: NRECA Region 6 Meeting, Grand Forks, ND
NRTC Staff will attend

• Nov. 3-5: NRECA Region 8 & 10 Meeting, Albuquerque, NM
NRTC Staff will attend

• Nov. 7-10: NREDA Annual Conference, South Destin, FL
Alana Pilkington will attend

• Nov. 9: Georgia Electric Cooperative Membership Corporation Annual Meeting, Tucker, GA
Jay Smith will attend

• Nov. 10-12: TelcoTV, Orlando, FL
Madeleine Forrer is speaking and NRTC staff will attend

• Nov. 10-12: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Annual Meeting, Harrisburg, PA
Jay Smith will attend

• Nov. 18-19: Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives Annual Meeting, Bowling Green, KY
Mark Davis will attend

• Dec. 2-3: Montana Telecommunications Association Annual Showcase, Billings, MT
Tom Thorson will attend

• Dec. 3-4: Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation Engineering Workshop, AR
Gene Porter will attend

• Dec. 7-9: South Carolina Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting, SC
Jay Smith will attend

• Dec. 16-18: Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN
Bob Phillips speaking and Mark Davis will attend