Brought to you by Innovative Systems

Another example of a telecommunications company created specifically because of the needs of its people is Gila River Telecom, outside of Phoenix, Arizona. In this video interview, Cecil Antone explains how the people of this Native American community took control of their telecommunications infrastructure some 20 years ago and now it is paying explicit dividends (some $400k in profits were returned to the community last year) as well as implicit dividends, such as a stronger community. Listen and watch as he explains how local content that preserves the past will be a big part of their future.

Click here for a follow-up video, where we tour Gila River Telecom's facility.