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Consider Broadband When You Go To The Polls

July 19, 2018 by Levoy Knowles

At the risk of sounding cliché, I’m going to join the chorus of people encouraging Tennesseans to make their voices heard by voting in the primaries and general elections this year.

But as the executive director of the Tennessee Telecommunications Association, I’ll also urge our members to consider the voices that best represent support for TTA members in efforts to expand rural broadband in Tennessee.

In this issue of our newsletter, we’ve included the relevant dates for elections and voter registration. While these dates cover state and national races, there are numerous local races in cities and counties from Memphis to Mountain City.

Since TTA doesn’t traditionally endorse candidates, I’m not going to recommend how you should vote. I believe voting is a very personal decision and one I hope you’ll make with significant consideration.

What I will ask is that you take opportunities to make rural broadband an issue with candidates during this campaign season. Whether the candidates come by your office or groups host candidate forums in your area, I’d urge you to bring up the expansion of rural broadband. Help them understand TTA members are the state’s broadband experts with decades of experience.

Communicate to them that TTA members must be an important part of solving the state’s connectivity issues.

As we’ve seen in recent years, decisions made in Nashville can directly create or destroy opportunities for TTA members around the state. No matter who wins the races this fall, TTA and its members will only benefit from having an informed and aware assembly when the legislature convenes in 2019.

Filed Under: From The Executive Director, Newsletter, Summer 2018

Geoffrey Starks Nominated To Fill FCC Seat

July 18, 2018 by Andy Johns

The President has nominated Geoffrey Starks to fill the open FCC Commission seat created with the departure of Mignon Clyburn.

Starks, an assistant chief in the FCC’s enforcement bureau and a Democrat, was recommended by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The five-member commission is appointed by the President, but no more than three commissioners may be from the same party. Traditionally the President honors the wishes of the minority leader.

After the nomination, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield said, “NTCA congratulates Geoffrey Starks on his nomination to serve as FCC Commissioner. His experience at the FCC and clear, long-standing commitment to public service will suit him well in tackling the range of important issues faced by the agency. NTCA and its membership look forward to working with Mr. Starks once he’s confirmed to continue responding to consumer needs and advancing our nation’s broadband goals.”

Clyburn, a Democrat, ended eight years on the commission this spring. During her tenure, Clyburn focused on the needs of low-income and minority communities.

Follow the story:

Mignon Steps Down

Trump Grants Democrats’ Request

Filling A Vacant Democrat Seat

Meet Geoffrey Starks

Filed Under: Industry Outlook, Newsletter, Summer 2018

KTA-TTA Fall Conference Registration Now Open

July 18, 2018 by Andy Johns

This year’s KTA-TTA Fall Conference will be Oct. 16-18 at the Holiday Inn University Plaza and Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green. Watch the next issue of this newsletter for more information.

Register now!

Filed Under: Newsletter, Summer 2018, TTA News

Calix And MACC Announce Conferences

July 18, 2018 by Andy Johns

MACC Billing and Technology Conference

Mid America Computer Corporation (MACC) has scheduled its 2018 conference for two sessions in September in Nebraska. At this event, MACC clients will have the opportunity to learn new skills related to MACC products and network with their peers in the telecom industry.

Session One: September 5-7
Session Two: September 10-12
Omaha, Nebraska

Click here for details and registration.

Calix ConneXions 2018

Calix has announced that its ConneXions conference will return to Las Vegas at the end of October. ConneXions is where pioneers and thought leaders come to debate, collaborate and learn about the latest innovations that winning service providers are using to evolve their business models.

Calix ConneXions
October 27-30
Las Vegas, NV

Click here for details and registration.

TTA does not endorse any conference or associate member over any others. TTA is happy to run conference dates for relevant events submitted by TTA members and associate members.

Filed Under: Industry Outlook, Newsletter Topics, Summer 2018

Member Profile: Ritter Communications

July 17, 2018 by Andy Johns

President: Alan Morse

Access lines in Tennessee: 13,000

Revenue-generating units companywide: 70,000

Seven exchanges in Tennessee: Shelby, Tipton and Fayette and Haywood counties

Employees: 52 in Tennessee; 320 companywide

Ritter Communications, a company with 112 years of history in Arkansas, ventured into Tennessee in 2012 with the acquisitions of Millington Telephone and Millington Cable. But the ties between the companies began much earlier, says Bob Mouser, vice president of business development.

Louis Ritter Jr., of Ritter Communications, and Babe Howard, of Millington Telephone, represented two of the 12 telephone companies that met in Memphis in 1963 to discuss dissatisfaction with the Federal Communication Commission’s toll settlements, which determined the way telephone companies were compensated for handling automated and operator-assisted calls.

The result of that meeting was the Memphis Plan, which was the foundation for a new national group — Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telephone Companies, known as OPASTCO. In 2013, OPASTCO merged with the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association to become NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association.

Now, Ritter Communications, based in Jonesboro, Arkansas, is an active member of Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance and the Tennessee Telecommunications Association.

At Ritter Communications, it’s almost like having four companies in one, Mouser says.
“Internally, we refer to service in our traditional ILEC and HFC cable areas as ‘hometown services,’ and we’re like everyone else, pushing out faster and faster broadband speeds to these communities,” Mouser says.

The push involves a variety of strategies, including fiber-to-the-home to new residential developments, fiber-to-the-premises to business and school locations, additional fiber-fed DSLAMs and node splitting.

Ritter has the infrastructure in place to provide 10 Gbps service at the Memphis Regional Megasite, a 4,100-acre industrial site in Stanton, Tennessee, on Interstate 40. It represents a significant economic and community development  in West Tennessee. The gig service is a valued industrial recruitment tool for the site, Mouser says.

Mouser says about 80 percent of the homes passed by Ritter’s networks in West Tennessee are capable of receiving internet download speeds greater than 100 Mbps.

“It’s been amazing to watch the capacity requirements of the internet backbone grow over these last few years, and in West Tennessee that is now over 20 Gbps,” he says.

For backup and redundancy, the systems in both Tennessee and Arkansas are meshed.

Components such as switching, networking and video content are connected through diverse fiber paths, Mouser says.

With a recent conversion, all operations in Arkansas and Tennessee are now on the same platform for operations support systems, he says.

The results are greater efficiencies and higher customer satisfaction.

Ritter also has an ‘enterprise services,’ which is fiber expansion across Arkansas that enables business services to selected cities.

In addition, the company provides fiber-based services to other carriers, resellers and statewide networks, as well as education and health care networks.

Ritter offers local channels with content for school and community events. Tubetownonline is one of the most popular features for customers.

Ritter Communications is focused on providing exceptional, personalized customer service, bringing advanced services and caring for the communities the company serves, says Casey Pearce, communications specialist at Ritter Communications.

In Tennessee, Ritter supports festivals and celebrations in all the communities they serve.

Ritter recently partnered with Tipton County Schools to provide a $24,300 grant from the Ernest and Anna Ritter Family Endowment fund to purchase 45 computers that students are using to fill out Federal Application for Free Student Aid and Tennessee Promise tuition assistance program applications that are only available online.

“We are involved in the schools and love giving back to the community,” Pearce says.

Filed Under: Newsletter, Slider, Summer 2018, TTA Member Profile

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