Tennessee Telecom Association

Telecommunications leaders travel to Washington

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Capitol Hill

State leaders from across the Southeast have been hard at work making their voices heard in Washington about broadband issues in rural America. Here are a few photos taken during some of their recent trips.

The delegation from Ben Lomand Connect and Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative are pictured with TN Senator Bob Corker and Senator Lamar Alexander at a Tennessee Tuesday event in Washington. The delegation presented Tennessee gifts to the senators.
State executives from several states participated in the NTCA panel in Washington. Pictured are Tyler Campbell from the Kentucky Telecommunications Association, Greg Dean from South Dakota Telecommunications Association, Levoy Knowles, and Duront Walton from the Virginia Telecommunications Association. The moderator was David Crothers from the North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives.
Congressman Marsha Blackburn addresses the NTCA Legislative and Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.
The national delegation from all across the country meet with their congressmen and senators. Congressman Diane Black meets with Tennessee cooperative managers and CEOs from her district. (L to R) Chris Townson, DTC Communications; Congressman Black; Nancy White, North Central Telephone Cooperative; and Jonathan West, Twin Lakes.

TN Telecommunications Association Encouraged By Passage Of Bill To Expand Rural Broadband

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Governor’s legislation provides grants, opens way to electric coops

The Tennessee Telecommunications Association said Monday that passage of the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act is a good first step toward making broadband available to more rural Tennesseans.

“This is a major step in the right direction,” said Levoy Knowles, executive director of TTA.

“As providers of high-speed broadband and fiber to a large portion of rural Tennessee, we know there are still places that need to get connected. This is an issue that won’t be fixed overnight.

“But our members, both the independent companies and the cooperatives, are optimistic about working with the electric coops to make broadband available to many more rural Tennesseans.”

David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of TECA, said:

“The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association supports the Governor’s Broadband Accessibility Act. Expanded access to high-speed Internet in rural areas can have a profound impact on job creation, economic investment, education, and health care.

“Electric and telephone co-ops serve the state’s most rural and economically disadvantaged regions. The Governor’s legislation will now allow electric cooperatives to play a vital role in bringing broadband to these underserved areas.

“With our joint dedication and presence in these rural areas, electric and telephone cooperatives have a great opportunity to work together to meet this challenge.”

The Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act is a signature piece of Governor Haslam’s 2017 legislative initiatives. It is aimed at promoting expansion of broadband into unserved rural areas. Some of the provisions:

• Allows electric coops to provide broadband service separately from their electric power service.
• Also permits the electric coops to provide video/cable TV service.
• Provides $30 million in grants and $15 million in tax breaks to encourage expansion of rural broadband into areas without access.

TTA represents 21 independent and cooperatively owned telecom cooperatives and independent companies that make high-speed broadband or fiber available to more than 136,000 rural Tennesseans. They have installed more than 12,000 miles of fiber in rural areas across the state.

Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative Hosts Community Meeting

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With the legislature in session, TTA members are working hard to make sure lawmakers hear about the need for broadband in rural Tennessee. Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative recently hosted a community meeting to discuss its expansion of broadband services. The cooperative was pleased to have State Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, in attendance.

Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative Controller and Business Manager Robbin Rothwell, left, and General Manager Charles Boring presented the cooperative’s plans for network expansion.

Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative is one of many TTA members expanding its network to reach rural Tennesseeans with high-speed broadband.

Tennessee State Senator Janice Bowling, left, attended the meeting and heard about the need for broadband from both Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative managers and local residents.

From The Executive Director — December 2016

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Happy holidays from TTA!

This past year has been another good year for our organization, and I am thankful for each and everyone of our members and associate members who helped make 2016 the year it was.

Each year, the holiday season is always busy with shopping, family travel and a full slate of parties and church events. But for TTA, an even busier time will kick off Jan. 10. As the voice representing our members at the state house, TTA will dive into the legislative session headfirst from January to April. Over the years we have stepped up our efforts to have more of a presence in Nashville during the session, and this year we’re going beyond what we’ve done before. For example:

  • In the last few months, TTA has worked with Cooley and Associates to place opinion pieces outlining our positions in key newspapers around the state.
  • We’re also working with Cooley to gain more media coverage highlighting telco customers who have benefited from the service our members provide.
  • TTA launched this newsletter this year with our partners at WordSouth in order to better communicate about issues with our members. Based on the tracking statistics and feedback, the newsletter is well-read and has been an important tool in keeping members informed.
  • Once again this year, TTA will be retaining the services of Capitol Strategies to help with our lobbying efforts during the session and beyond.
  • Though the date is still pending, TTA members will once again meet with key legislators in February to discuss our positions on various telco-related bills and issues.  

Based on the legislation I expect will be brought up, this is going to be a very important session for our industry. I’m happy to report that TTA is better prepared and equipped than we’ve ever been to meet those challenges.

Happy New Year!

Joint Conference A Success

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Telco leaders from across Tennessee and Kentucky converged on Bowling Green Oct. 25-27 for the 22nd annual KTA-TTA Fall Conference and Supplier Showcase.

More than 275 people attended the conference, including members and associate members.  

Attendees were treated to a keynote address from Jessica Golden of FRS, six informational breakout sessions on the industry’s hottest topics, and, of course, plenty of opportunities to network with fellow telco employees and vendors.

The session covered a variety of topics including network security, FTTH UPS placement, how to make the most from your high speed connection, managing your workflow and a discussion on making a profit from video services. The vendor showcase also featured 82 tabletop displays.

Thank you to all of the TTA members who attended and helped sponsor another successful conference, and thank you to our counterparts in Kentucky for continuing to be excellent partners.