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The Sports Bubble
Are we getting to the point where the economics of sports cable programming is no longer sustainable? That is, the high salaries of professional athletes combined with the ever-high fees from leagues flow through to the consumer, and, at some point, significant numbers of customers may cut the video cord (in this scenario, the remaining…
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Local Operator Driving Global Telework Opportunities
Establishing a model for other operators is what Park Region Mutual Telephone Company is doing with the Minnesota Telecom Association with its telework program. Interviewed at last year’s 2011 MTA, Park Region’s General Manager, Dave Bickett, provides an update on their telework program, how they have worked with other local businesses and how they have had…
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A New Game Plan Is Needed
NTCA’s CEO, Shirley Bloomfield talks about changes to USF, Intercarrier Compensation and how rural operators need to try a different game plan to have their and their customer’s voices heard in Washington D.C. She suggests that the uncertainty needs to be resolved, as it is delaying operators’ plans for rolling out broadband. And this uncertainty…
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Stimulating and Driving the Broadband Bus
Skin in the game differentiated Farmers Mutual Telephone Company from other providers and was a key to their partnership with their local county, so says Kevin Beyer, General Manager of Farmers Mutual Telephone. For years, Farmers Mutual Telephone Company served residences in one-half of rural Lac qui Parle County . He explains the process for how…
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You Can’t Outsource the Local Loop
In this exclusive video interview at the 2012 MTA Annual Convention, Kent Larsen of CHR Solutions talks about what he means by his statement that it is not possible to outsource the local loop. He suggests that rural broadband operators need to focus on their strengths and share costs where they can if they are…
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FCC’s Order – Delay and Uncertainty Abound
The industry has been, “shaken upside down”, because of the FCC’s order on USF and Intercarrier Compensation, so says Brent Christensen, president of MTA. He explains that his organization and members are still trying to determine the impact of this order and how much it will cost end consumers. The FCC order is causing uncertainty,…