Andy Johns is joined by Chris Townson, CEO of West Carolina and Upcountry Fiber, to talk about what makes a strong partnership. Chris shares candid lessons from working with telcos, electrics and municipalities—including how to evaluate opportunities, align missions, manage egos and build lasting agreements.
What You’ll Learn Tombigbee Electric Cooperative was early to the game on fiber optics. What can other electrics learn from Tombigbee’s Freedom Fiber service? Guest Speaker Steve Foshee Show Notes Transcripts have been lightly edited for clarity and readability. Andy Johns: What can electric cooperatives learn about getting into the broadband business from freedom FIBER? […]
What You’ll Learn Appalachian Electric Cooperative in New Market, Tennessee, did its homework before deciding to enter the broadband business — what Director of Member Services Mitch Cain calls “the largest investment our cooperative had ever made.” In this episode, Mitch talks about what led to AEC’s decision to offer broadband, and how finding the […]
What You’ll Learn In the summer of 2019, Director of Communications Patricia Contic and her team at Morristown (TN) Utility Systems were set to launch a company-wide rebranding effort. And then someone launched a DDoS attack on their network. In this episode, Patricia talks about how they managed the public backlash, deleted their Facebook page […]
What You’ll Learn The demand for broadband was there, but Joe Wheeler EMC (Trinity, Alabama) needed approval from its membership to enter the business. In this episode, Director of Communications Michael Cornelison talks about the actions his electric cooperative took to inform members and hold an election to change the company bylaws. Guest Speaker Michael […]
What You’ll Learn How can we diversify services to create market resilience, reduce churn, and increase revenue? What innovative methods can we use to add to the value we provide to customers? To explore these and other questions, NeoNova conducted an industry survey and hosted a small-group discussion workshop at the 2019 NTCA Technology & […]
What You’ll Learn Federal and state grant programs are providing another source of funding for many to expand their broadband buildout. Whether an outright grant, a low-interest loan, or funding through the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunities Fund, there are several programs that can help fund your broadband project. Each program has detailed application requirements, but […]
What You’ll Learn Shawn Arner is the USDA RUS Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Loan Origination and Approval Division. He spoke from the conference main stage about the many funding programs available through the Rural Utilities Service. To learn more, contact Shawn at shawn.arner@usda.gov. Guest Speaker Shawn Arner
What You’ll Learn Robocalling is a huge issue for all of us and continues to be the number-one complaint to the FCC and FTC. More than half the calls to all mobile phones in the US in 2019 will be robocalls. STIR-SHAKEN is a framework developed by the ATIS/SIP Forum NNI Task Force to reduce […]
What You’ll Learn If your company wants to reach its goals, improve its results and become more competitive, the Baldrige Framework provides a system for moving you toward excellence. In his presentation to on the conference main stage, Keiffer dove deep into the Customer Focus leg of the Leadership Triad, exploring how customer expectations, engagement […]
What You’ll Learn When Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative wanted to get into the broadband business, they created the Wave Rural Connect brand. How did they do it and what are the advantages of building a new brand? Guest Speaker James Ratterree
What You’ll Learn Riverstreet is offering a broadband only package under the Opti-Fi brand. How is the brand being recieved? This episode also includes a discussion about tactics for online ad tactics. Guest Speaker Wes Triplett
