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Have You Considered Getting Gig Certified?

December 22, 2016 by Andy Johns

As a marketer, any excuse to throw a party that touts the cutting-edge services your company provides is a good one. NTCA’s Gig-Capable Certification program may be just what you need to get the party started.

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association says the program is intended to recognize telcos capable of providing gigabit speeds and to “create a national campaign to celebrate rural networks.” In Tennessee, NCTC and WK&T were the first companies to gain this distinction, while Ben Lomand Connect and Highland Telephone Cooperative became certified this fall.

To become a Gig-Cable Certified provider, a telco must be able to provide gigabit service to 95 percent of one or more exchanges or census blocks. This capability must be confirmed by a letter from an engineering firm or other independent source involved in the company’s network planning, deployment or operation.

The telco must also complete an application and send in a $250 fee. There is no deadline to apply for the program.

Once the certification is granted, the telco will have access to the Gig-Capable logo for use on print, online and other marketing materials. Certified companies also will be recognized in NTCA media, on the NTCA website and during association conferences and events.

Only about 90 telcos have achieved the designation, which accounts for only 10 percent of NTCA’s membership.

NCTC and Ben Lomand Connect both hosted community events to announce their certification (see video coverage for NCTC here and Ben Lomand here), which drew media attention as well as a crowd of local officials and business owners. Other certified providers have advertised their certification on vehicle wraps, new member welcome packets, road signs, customer newsletters and corporate websites.

To find out more about the program, visit the Gig Certification page on NTCA.org.

Filed Under: December 2016, Making Connections, News, Newsletter

Defend Your Network By Keeping Up To Date On Cyberattacks

December 22, 2016 by Andy Johns

As anyone who attended the Counter-Analytics cybersecurity panel during the KTA-TTA Joint Fall Conference knows, ISPs are the future of cybersecurity. It’s a similar message to what TTA members heard from the FBI’s Scott Augenbaum this summer in Franklin. Even small rural networks need to be protected, or there could be huge legal and commercial consequences.

A big part of limiting the damage a cyberattack can do to your network is knowing what it is and what it does as soon as possible. The FBI and other groups send out bulletins and advisories to keep network administrators up to date on the latest attacks. Many of the services have free email sign-ups or feeds available. Here is a sampling of ways to stay up to date:

Cyber Threat Bulletins
http://www.iacpcybercenter.org/resource-center/cyber-threat-bulletins

POLITICO.com Morning Cybersecurity, a daily briefing on politics and cybersecurity
http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-cybersecurity

Center for Internet Security MS-ISAC Cybersecurity Advisories
https://msisac.cisecurity.org/advisories/

SANS.org Newsbites
https://www.sans.org/newsletters/newsbites/

National Cyber Awareness System
https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas

Filed Under: December 2016, News, Newsletter, Telco Tech

KTA-TTA 22nd Joint conference and Supplier Showcase Agenda

October 13, 2016 by Andy Johns

Tuesday, October 25

11:00 a.m. Golf Luncheon
Crosswinds Golf Club

12:00 p.m. Golf Tournament

4:00 p.m. KTA-TTA Registration
Plaza Deck 2- Hotel

6:00-7:30 p.m. KTA-TTA Welcome Reception
Salon B – Hotel

9:00-11:00 p.m. KTA-TTA Hospitality Suite
Suite 219

Wednesday, October 26

8:00 a.m. Registration opens/Cont. Breakfast
Sloan Convention Center Foyer

General Session
Ballroom A- Sloan Conv. Center

8:30-8:35 a.m. Welcome, Opening remarks and Announcements
Tyler Campbell – KTA

8:35-9:35 a.m. Keynote Address
Foundation for Rural Service Update
Jessica Golden-FRS

9:35-10:20 a.m. Replacing USP Support-Based Revenues-FTTP Service Expansion Strategies
Dave Lewis-JSI

10:20-10:30 a.m. Break/Announcements

10:30-11:15 a.m. ISP’s as the Future of National Cyber Defense
John Gilbert/Blake Philips-Counter-Analytics

11:15-12:00 p.m. What Behavioral Insight Can Really Do for You
Alfio Carroccetto-Omnia Group

12:00-12:05 p.m. Showcase Announcements
John Dorris – KGP and Lynn Groen – MACC
Closing Remarks/Door Prize Drawings
Levoy Knowles

12:05-1:15 p.m. Luncheon

1:15-2:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions
Breakout 1: Layered Network Security with SDN/OpenFLow
Matt Bianco-Brocade
Salon A – Hotel

Breakout 2: Switch Consolidation: Is the Time Right?
Van Barnett-Finley Engineering
Salon B – Hotel

Breakout 3: Wi-Fi is the Internet-How to Get the Most from Your High Speed
Connection
Patrick Moreno-ZyXEL Communications
Salon C – Hotel

2:30-3:00 p.m. Break

3:00-4:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions (Continued)

Breakout 4: Take Control: Managing Process and Workflow
Jonathan Crawford- Mapcom Systems
Salon A – Hotel

Breakout 5: Indoor vs Outdoor-Where is Your FTTH UPS Best Placed?
Paige Wacker-ESPi
Salon B – Hotel

Breakout 6: In Search of Unicorns: Can You Make a Profit in Video Delivery?
Robert Saunders-Skitter TV
Salon C – Hotel

4:30-11:00 p.m. Booth Set-Up
Ballrooms A-D, Sloan Convention Center

6:30-10:00 p.m. Vendor Hospitality Party
Ballrooms A-D, Sloan Convention Center

10:00-Midnight KTA-TTA Hospitality Suite
Suite 219-Hotel (Open after Vendor Party)

Thursday, October 27

7:00-8:30 a.m. Booth Set-Up
Ballrooms A-D, Sloan Convention Center

8:00 a.m. Registration Desk Open
Sloan Convention Center Foyer

8:30-12:00 p.m. Supplier Showcase and Continental Breakfast
Ballrooms A –D, Sloan Convention Center

KENTUCKY TENNESSEE ENGINEERING ASSOCIATION MEETING BEGINS

1:30 p.m. KTEA Association Annual Meeting (Session 1)
Salon B – Hotel

6:00-11:00 p.m. KTEA Hospitality Suite
Suite 219- Hotel

Friday, October 28

7:45 a.m. KTEA Registration and Continental Breakfast
Salon B – Hotel

8:00 a.m. KTEA Association Annual Meeting (Session 2)
Salon B – Hotel

11:30 a.m. KTEA Business Session

12:00 p.m. KTEA Luncheon
Heartland Cafe

Filed Under: Fall 2016, Newsletter, TTA News

Google causes turf battle in Nashville

October 13, 2016 by Andy Johns

The arrival of Google Fiber in Nashville created a turf battle on the utility poles — as it has elsewhere — as the internet giant works to expand gigabit internet service and existing broadband providers fight to hold the high ground.

In September, the Nashville Metro Council approved an ordinance known as “One Touch Make Ready” that AT&T and Comcast are expected to challenge in court. The ordinance changes rules governing who can make wire changes on a pole.

Insteading of waiting for an incumbent provider’s crews to move wires to make room for a new ISP, a single company can make all necessary wire adjustments on a pole. The goal, according to lawmakers who supported the move, is to make it easier for companies such as Google Fiber to expand quickly.

A legal response from the incumbent providers is anticipated, as Nashville is not the first community to create such an ordinance. In an effort to block a similar law earlier this year, AT&T sued Louisville and Jefferson County, Kentucky, governments in U.S. District Court.

About 15 months after Google Fiber announced it would roll out in Nashville, The Tennessean reported that only four apartment buildings had been connected. The goal for Google, however, is to connect most homes, including single-family houses and multi-family complexes, in the metro area. The Google Fiber website indicates the service will include all of Nashville, as well as smaller cities within the metro area: Forest Hills, Oak Hill, Berry Hill and Belle Meade.

Elsewhere, Google Fiber is available in at least portions of Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Provo, Utah; and both the Missouri and Kansas portions of Kansas City. The Triangle area of North Carolina also has access.

Google Fiber is more than a provider of internet service. The company also sells television and phone service, as well as packages targeted to businesses.
While “One Touch Make Ready” was seen as a way to add competition to the market, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry did not expect the new ordinance to pass without push-back from the incumbents.

She told The Tennessean that she hoped the providers could reach a solution on their own, but she now hopes legal challenges will end swiftly. Meanwhile, ARS Technica, a technology news website, reported Google Fiber’s parent company, Alphabet, had offered to share its lawyers with Nashville as the legal challenge starts.
The battle for access to the poles is only beginning.

Filed Under: Around Tennessee, Fall 2016, Newsletter

Six Great Ideas from StoryConnect

October 13, 2016 by Andy Johns

In September, more than 50 utility communicators gathered in Chattanooga for the annual StoryConnect conference. The conference focuses on equipping telcos and electric utilities to tell their stories, while giving them ideas to take back to their organizations. For those who missed the conference, here are six top ideas shared at the conference:

Good local content and ad revenue can help your TV product.
Panelists from ETC, SkyLine Membership Corporation and Viamedia discussed the value of local content as a differentiator between you and your competitors. While local sports are by far the most popular programs, panelists reported good success with cooking shows as well. Local ad insertion either in your local programming or on national networks can generate meaningful revenue for telcos and great exposure for local businesses.

Social Media doesn’t have to be scary.
Seated around a faux campfire, attendees shared their scary social media experiences, from outages to angry customers. In the end, many left with the conclusion that while everyone is still trying to figure things out, being a part of the social media conversation is a key opportunity for marketers to manage the perception of their brands.

Print and email may not be new, but they are still very effective marketing tools.
Micro-targeted social media and online ads can be valuable tools for telco marketers, but print products and email newsletters still drive big numbers. Don’t sleep on tried-and-true channels like print and email.

Better photography takes some work, but it’s worth it.
By keeping a clean background, working out the right lighting and properly posing subjects in your photos, the images can better tell your story. A good photograph tells the viewer where to focus his or her attention, which can be especially important in marketing photos for press releases, company newsletters and social media posts.

Go where your customers are …
Data from programs offered by companies such as Calix and CrowdFiber can tell you where your customers are and how they want to use your network. That type of data can and should shape the way you market your services.

… and give them what they want.
The customers may not always be right, but they are usually right about how they want to use your service. If your customers demand something — like when SkyLine Membership Corporation’s customers demanded weekend-only broadband service — try to make it available. SkyLine CEO Jimmy Blevins shared how his company created “Weekender Internet” for people with vacation homes.

The way Chick-fil-A sees its brand.
Sara Storck, brand strategy manager for Chick-fil-A, outlined how she sees a company’s brand. Your brand matches who you are with what you do. Details make all the difference for a brand. For Chick-fil-A, that means things as small as fresh flowers on the table and red straws in the cups. For a telco, that can mean everything from employee uniforms to logos to the decor in your lobby.

Filed Under: Fall 2016, Making Connections, Newsletter

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