Tennessee Telecom Association

New Faces Are Coming To The Statehouse And Executive Branch

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TTA members will need to get to know not only a first-term governor but also four new state senators and almost 30 new members in the house.

“It’s a new day for state government,” said Kim Adkins, who represents TTA in lobbying efforts with The Capitol Strategy Group. “With so many new faces and familiar ones in new roles, the next few months are going to be all about building new relationships and building upon the strong relationships we already have in order to continue our role as a trusted resource on rural broadband.”

Despite what he described as a “shuffling of the deck” in the statehouse, TTA Executive Director Levoy Knowles believes TTA is well-positioned to build on past success in making the concerns of TTA members known to legislators and policymakers.

“We’ve worked so hard and have been to Nashville and the home offices of these lawmakers so often that they recognize TTA as Tennessee’s broadband experts,” Knowles explained. “In many instances, those relationships will continue to be an asset as our friends in the statehouse are moving into leadership roles both statewide and federally.”

Governor

Not only will Tennessee have a new governor in businessman and cattle farmer Bill Lee, but also many cabinet positions and department heads are expected to change with the administration. Lee, who is from Franklin, is the president of Lee Company, a family business that employs more than 1,200 people. Known as a political outsider, Lee spent a lot of time during the election focusing on rural issues.

While some officials may stay in place from the Haslam administration, Lee is expected to appoint new department heads in key positions, including the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The agency plays a crucial role in administering the state’s Broadband Accessibility Grants. The preservation or expansion of that grant program will be one of TTA’s top priorities with the new administration.

“TTA will work to understand the governor’s policy initiatives, and we already know rural broadband is on his radar,” said Steve Buttry, another TTA representative at The Capitol Strategy Group. “In many cases, however, making sure the new cabinet staff and department heads understand TTA’s positions are equally as important.”

Congress

The race that captured most of the headlines — the most expensive race in Tennessee history — saw Marsha Blackburn win the seat in the U.S. Senate vacated by retiring Bob Corker.
Blackburn, a 16-year veteran of the U.S. House, is well-known by TTA members. She spoke at the TTA Annual Convention in 2017.

“Marsha Blackburn has shown a good understanding of what TTA members mean for their areas, and we believe she and her staff will continue a sound dialogue with TTA on topics related to broadband development,” Adkins said.

In the house, TTA members will find more familiar faces. Six of the nine congressional districts in the state saw incumbents return to their posts. The three new congressmen elected are all Republicans with state government experience.

Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, a former state legislator and Knox County Mayor, won the District 2 seat. He takes over for retiring Rep. John Duncan Jr.

In middle and west Tennessee, State Sen. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, won the District 7 seat formerly held by Blackburn.

John Rose, R-Cookeville, the former agriculture commissioner, won the District 6 seat, which was held by Diane Black before she ran for governor. District 6 encompasses the mostly rural northern part of the state. Rose is acutely aware of rural issues and through his home and business is served by two TTA members, Twin Lakes and DTC.

“Not only do all three new congressmen understand state government well, but they also know our TTA members, and they understand the needs of rural Tennesseans,” Knowles said.

State Legislature

In addition to Lee’s administration, there are plenty of new faces in the state legislature. Despite only one incumbent state legislator being unseated, there will be 28 new state representatives and four new senators in seats left open by either retirements or primary defeats.

The senate saw four new senators, three of which had been serving as state representatives:  Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville; Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro; and Ramuesh Akbari, D-Memphis. Katrina Robinson, D-Memphis, was also elected after defeating incumbent Reggie Tate in the primary.

With Mark Green winning a congressional seat and Mark Norris’ appointment to the federal court, there will be two open seats to be filled in a special election.

New house members come from across the state: Memphis to Morristown. They include both Republicans and Democrats. The new representatives come from a wide range of backgrounds, including academia, law enforcement, banking, construction, city government and one former NBA player.

In both the senate and house, Republicans maintained their super-majority, but with Speaker of the House Beth Harwell not seeking re-election after a gubernatorial run, state house Republicans will need to elect a speaker and other leadership positions at a Nov. 20 caucus. The new speaker is expected to reshuffle some of the committees in the house.

For TTA members, the most important committee is usually the Business and Utilities Committee, which was already set to see four new members due to retirement — even beyond any changes the new speaker makes.

“Any way you look at it, TTA members have a significant number of new representatives and officials we need to meet and educate about our companies’ and customers’ issues,” said Knowles. “In the last six years, our members have done an excellent job reaching out to legislators both at home and in Nashville, and I look forward to helping spread TTA’s message to those who have been recently elected.”

Joint Project To Bring Broadband Internet To Underserved Areas In Tennessee

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Peytonsville, a small Tennessee community not far from Franklin, is among the first to benefit from a partnership to bring broadband internet to underserved areas in the state.

Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperative and United Communications combined their resources and decades of experience to offer affordable, high-speed internet services. The two organizations, along with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, announced the plan in August at the Peytonsville Volunteer Fire Hall.

Now, the fire hall has access to a gigabit-speed fiber network, which will enhance firehouse operations, improve mission-critical communication systems and offer many other benefits.

“Our community relies on well-trained volunteers to provide superior emergency services,” says Brian Jones, Peytonsville Fire Chief. “Reliable broadband access has allowed us to incorporate multimedia instruction into a well-rounded training program for our firefighters.”

The effort from Middle Tennessee Electric and United Communications is the first of its kind in the state, combining the efforts and resources of both an electric and a communications company to bring broadband to underserved areas.

Middle Tennessee Electric provides electricity to more than 225,000 residential and business members. The company serves Cannon, Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson counties. United serves Bedford, Franklin, Marshall, Rutherford and Williamson counties.

United Communications offers internet, digital TV and phone services in Middle Tennessee, providing close to 1,000 route-miles of fiber.

The partnership allows both organizations to build a world-class broadband network at the lowest possible cost. “We’re proud to be the first electric cooperative to pursue a partnership of this kind in Tennessee and answer the calls we have long heard from our members. They want and need access to broadband service,” says Chris Jones, president and CEO of Middle Tennessee Electric.

Jones says United Communications is the ideal partner. “They have already built an impressive fiber backbone throughout many areas we serve, which will allow us to work together to more rapidly and cost-effectively expand internet services,” Jones says.
“We are grateful to Gov. Bill Haslam, the Tennessee legislature and the Federal Communications Commission for paving the way for local providers like Middle Tennessee Electric to meet broadband access needs of our members,” Jones says.

The partnership is about two local companies, who share common values, working together to provide a broadband solution for the area, says William Bradford, president and CEO of United Communications. “Ultimately, this will be great for economic development, support smart grid and smart home technologies, and improve the quality of life in Middle Tennessee,” Bradford says.

 

Get Out And Vote!

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The Tennessee Telecommunications Association does not endorse candidates for political office, but Executive Director Levoy Knowles encourages everyone to learn about the candidates and know where each stands on the importance of access to broadband.

“Access to broadband internet is one of the biggest challenges facing the telecommunications industry, both in Tennessee and across the nation,” Knowles says. “We encourage every telco member to vote and urge your families and friends to vote.”

Key dates:

Oct. 9: Last day to register to vote for the Nov. 6 election

Oct. 17-Nov. 1: Early voting for Nov. 6 election

Nov. 6: Election day for federal and state candidates

Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant Applications Due Nov. 15

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With the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act’s second round of grants, members of the Tennessee Telecommunications Association will continue to play an integral role as broadband access expands.

“I’ve said for years that the challenge of bringing broadband to all Tennesseans would involve a multiprong solution, but that TTA members should be at the center of that,” says Levoy Knowles, executive director of the TTA.

Grants for about $45 million over three years and tax credits for service providers made the first round of grants a success, Knowles says. In the second round, the maximum grant request is again $2 million. And the grant can cover as much as 50 percent of eligible project expenses.

The Broadband Accessibility Grant program is designed to offset capital expenses in the deployment of broadband in unserved areas. The goal of the program is to bring broadband to all Tennesseans and to promote practices that increase broadband deployment.

More than half the grants awarded so far have gone to TTA members. “We’re encouraging our TTA members to apply for these grants and receive more funding as it becomes available,” Knowles says.

Grant applications are due by Nov. 15, and there are a few changes in the guidelines. Grant recipients will be announced in February 2019.

Upcoming Elections Impact Broadband Internet

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Access to broadband internet is one of the biggest challenges facing the telecommunications industry, both in Tennessee and across the nation.

That’s why it’s important to know where each candidate stands on broadband deployment.

While the Tennessee Telecommunications Association doesn’t endorse candidates, it urges all members to learn each candidate’s policy positions before committing to a candidate.

“It’s important to vote for someone who relates to our ideals,” says Levoy Knowles, executive director of the TTA.“The TTA is the winner if we elect candidates who understand the importance of broadband and what it means to our future.”

Key dates:

Aug. 2: Federal and state primary election and county general election

Oct. 9: Last day to register to vote for the Nov. 6 election

Oct. 17-Nov. 1: Early voting for Nov. 6 election

Nov. 6: Election day for federal and state candidates