National security is a hot topic here in D.C. and I recently asked someone who works in that space what their biggest concern was, and it wasn’t a nuclear attack from North Korea or implications from the fall out of the Iran nuclear deal—it was cybersecurity—without a moment of hesitation. At NTCA, we’ve really been focused on the cyber threat and the tools needed to help NTCA members manage and protect their networks and I am really proud of the…
Congressman Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined our group for some send-off remarks prior to the close of our meeting this afternoon. Rep. Cramer has championed numerous letters to the FCC advocating for USF High-Cost support. He has also been a voice of sanity on the current frenzy in DC to allow overbuilding of broadband facilities supported by federal funds–with additional federal funds–(this strikes me as inefficient and a serious waste of government resources!) and even gave a shout-out to NTCA members for…
This week, Anne Hazlett, special assistant to USDA Secretary Perdue, traveled many miles to share some of her key and timely insights with NTCA members in Idaho for our second regional meeting of the “summer tour”. Her timing was spot on with the NOI being released today for the RUS pilot program included in the Omnibus legislation earlier this year. She shared key insights as she and her team work toward crafting rules that make sense and encourage broadband deployment…
Just making my way through a crowded, storm-impacted airport in Charlotte, N.C. after our first NTCA regional meeting of the summer. We’ve begun our grand finale of regional meetings in grand fashion with an amazing program and relevant topics in large part due to Mark Marion and Dennis McGarry on our fabulous training and development team. Cyber risk management, the future of video, using change management to drive excellence, AMAC’s timely session on industry tips for adapting to change and…
There is so much going on in the RLEC industry which means there is a great deal going on as well for our national association, our benefit programs, our Group Health Plan and our Foundation for Rural Service. That’s why those who lead these entities are gathered in Asheville, N.C., home base for our service center, board meetings and strategic thinking. A lot was accomplished as we moved through best projections on what the future will hold and how we can…
I always love the energy that comes when NTCA members come into town and hit the Hill and key agencies to share their stories and perspective on building broadband in rural America. With a ton of recent activity – the recent order from the FCC finding reserves to make up some of the budget shortfall, the FNPRM on the future of building high-cost networks, upcoming CAF II auctions, a new RUS funding program in the Omnibus measure approved by Congress,…
Here at NTCA, we produce a lot of meetings. Trust me, we feel the pressure of returning from a great meeting only to gather in our board room to immediately debrief and compare notes on possible topics and structures for future meetings on the calendar; and I know members have commented on the number of meetings and we have really made some terrific strides in being more strategic and mindful about changes in these meeting structures. That is why I…
We’re out in California right now wrapping up NTCA’s Telecom Executive Forum and my brain is a little bit on overload from the many topics that we found a way to cover at this meeting. From “hacking” your customer’s brain, to reinventing the consumer experience, to mergers and acquisitions and other interesting business models to the top consumer tech trends to working wonders with wireless (that still needs wires!) to attracting talent to your company to creating a culture of…
First, my profound thanks to my NTCA Texas members for warning me about the shift in traffic from last week’s NTCA meeting to the sheer and total chaos and volume that is SXSW! Yes, your advance warnings were helpful and ensured that I kept my feet moving to make my way in and out of Austin in time to catch flights…whew! Second – wow! What an amazing experience my 24 hours on the ground actually was. SXSW is such an…
Here we are in Austin, wrapping up NTCA’s RTIME meeting and I am catching my breath and reflecting on what a week it has been. From Commissioner Carr joining our folks to share his perspective on his 6 months as an FCC Commissioner and the transition he has made from FCC General Counsel to his current role as a regulator – to USDA’s Anne Hazlett with her Rural Development leadership portfolio at USDA as she stepped in for USDA Secretary…
