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Calvert & Linda Lyon Celebrate Golden Wedding Anniversary
Calvert & Linda Lyon of Moapa Valley Telephone and NTA's Past President ('74-75, 86'-87', 2000-'01), Distinguished Service Award (1990), and Lifetime Achievement Award (2007) are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on September 6, 2010. Please send your best wishes to them at Cal & Linda Lyon, P. O. Box 605, Overton, NV 89040. The NTA extends its warmest wishes to this wonderful couple! Clay Johnson on the Mend and New "Digs"
It's good to keep track of friends and acquaintances. Finding Clay Johnson of Contel-Retired, NTA's Past President ('81-'82, '82-'83, '87-'88), and Distinguished Service Award (1989) was a tough nut to crack but I found him...a little worse for wear, but on his way to a full recovery. Seems that Clay was working on his deck at Zephyr Cover and took a tumble. Broken bones but no broken spirit. He and Jo have now moved back to their beloved Gardnerville to be closer to the "kids" and Clay to recuperate from his injuries. What a better way to get well than to hear from old friends. Send him a card to 1382 Brooke Way, Gardnerville, NV 89410-4830 or give Karen Pearl a call to get his phone number. Scholarship FUND Thanks to all of our contributors, the John & Mary Louise Christian Memorial Scholarship Fund increased by $3,780! Funds were collected for the annual raffle drawing, golf mulligans, silent auction and Past President Dunking. Thanks to Mark Schreiber of Cooper, White & Cooper LLP for secretly donating $300 to get Harold Oster into the pool! We raised over $600 just to watch the action.
Reinold Giesbrecht won the 1st Prize in the 2010 Annual Raffle....a two nights' stay at Harrah's/Harvey's Lake Tahoe. Pauline Carpenter won 2nd Prize of $100 and Kathy Scolari won 3rd Prize of $50. There were also wonderful items to bid on at the Silent Auction, from a self-defense stun gun (bought by Denise Christian to keep John Christian in line!) to two tickets to the National Rodeo Finals (John Lyon persevered). Thanks to everyone who contributed auction items, keeping this fundraising a very successful event. Our students appreciate it! GOLF TOURNAMENT
Doe and fawn kept the players entertained and cautious as they played the beautiful Genoa Lakes Golf Course. All players won prizes. The top three teams are:
Survey This year, we're keeping the survey simple, with just three questions. Please take the SURVEY so we can better serve you next year. convention 2011 The 2011 annual convention will be held at Harvey's Lake Tahoe, August 16-18, 2011. Hot August Nights classic car show will be held in Reno through August 14th. Mark your calendar and extend your vacation! convention Photo Gallery The 2010 Photo Gallery will be open soon in the CONFERENCE/GALLERY webpage. Stay tuned! Thanks to our convention SPONSORS
Industry
News
Opportunities Remain for Hosting a Congressional Telco Visit
There is still time left to schedule a visit with your congressional
representatives while they are home in their local districts for the annual
August recess. The Senate and House of Representatives are expected to
reconvene September 13 and 14, respectively. It is an excellent time
to invite your representatives to visit your telco and to educate them about key
telecom issues.
District visits are an ideal way to develop relationships with your
representatives and help them see first-hand how your telco is bringing the
benefits of broadband to the communities and the consumers you serve. •
Contact information for your members of Congress •
A podcast outlining the basics of conducting a visit, from scheduling the visit
to how to make the most of your time with your representative •
Talking points regarding the National Broadband Plan including the potential
urban/rural digital divide, cost model issues and economic development threats •
A sample press release for publicizing your visit •
Instructions for communicating your visit to your local media and to your
consumers If
you have questions about scheduling a visit, contact NTCA Political Grassroots
Coordinator
Michelle Ly. We want to hear from you if you have conducted a visit.
Please direct questions or comments about communications efforts to NTCA
Communications Director
Wendy Mann or Public Affairs Manager
Caitlin Colligan.
Rural
Associations (including NTA) Reply to Comments on FCC's Broadband Universal
Service Reform Proceeding
OPASTCO, the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), the
National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), the Western
Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) and the Rural Alliance, along with 41
concurring state associations and other groups,
filed joint reply comments August 11th with the FCC regarding proposals for
broadband Universal Service Fund (USF) reform.
The potential for an urban/rural digital divide remains a concern, which underscores the need for well-designed support programs that include investment incentives and continued support for rural broadband network infrastructure. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 8/12/10) Corning Cable Systems is Now Live on YouTube™ You can view it at http://www.youtube.com/corningcablesystems. Customer feedback has shown that customers in our industry, like many, have a strong preference for YouTube as a medium for delivering product videos. Potential customers who are not familiar with fiber optics or Corning Cable Systems are very likely to use YouTube to search for videos about fiber optics, particularly "how-to" installation videos. Enablence's "BeyondBroadband" Newsletter Rural Associations File Comments on FCC's Proposed Changes to Pole Attachment Rules OPASTCO, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) and the Eastern Rural Telecom Association (ERTA) filed initial comments responding to the May 20, 2010, Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) regarding the FCC's proposed changes to its pole attachment rules. The associations reminded the Commission that pole attachment rules have a long history, and any changes in the rules will affect small rural incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs). The associations also urged the Commission to address four key components that will strongly affect small rural ILECs:
For more information, contact OPASTCO Business Development Director/Sr. Policy Analyst Steve Pastorkovich at sfp@opastco.org or 202/659-0715. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 8/17/10) USAC Launches Payment Quality Assurance Program to Monitor USF Payments, Potential Trends In an effort to determine if payments made to USF program beneficiaries were made in accordance with program rules, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) this week launched the Payment Quality Assurance (PQA) Program. The PQA Program enables USAC to provide to the FCC accurate, timely information about payments across all four of the USF programs, while eliminating the burdensome attestation audit program that has been in place for the past several years.
GAO Releases Report on Wireless Industry The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report examining changes in the wireless industry since 2000. The report presents analysis of data from both government and private sources; case studies of the role of wireless communications in both urban and rural communities; and interviews of stakeholders representing consumers, local and state agencies and officials, and other segments of the wireless industry. The GAO recommends that the FCC should assess whether or not expanding its original data collection objectives for the wireless industry would help it better satisfy its requirement to review competitive market conditions with respect to commercial mobile services. Such data collection has included pricing information, special access rates, capital expenditures and equipment costs. Google™ Gmail Users Make One Million Calls in 24 Hours PC World and other sources report that Gmail users made over a million calls in the first 24 hours that Google’s newest feature, Gmail phone calling, was avail-able. The feature, which is currently only available to U.S. Gmail users, allows users to place free phone calls anywhere in the United States and Canada, and offers significantly reduced rates for international calls for countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Argentina, China, and Japan. International rates are as low as two cents per minute. It is anticipated that Google may start charging for domestic calls once the service catches on. Google had already joined the parade of competitive sources of phone service with its introduction of "Google Voice", but the new service targets the approximately 175 million Gmail users. (Source: BloostonLaw 8/26/10) ITTA Presses for FCC Action on Phantom Traffic, Obligations of PSTN Users
National Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week NARUC, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates are designating September 13-19 - the first week after Labor Day - as "National Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week." Based on a resolution the NARUC Board of Directors passed at the 2009 Summer Committee Meetings, the Week is designed to both raise awareness of and participation in Lifeline and Link-Up, two federal/State programs that help make telephone service more affordable for qualified customers. Both the FCC and NARUC websites provide outreach information. FCC Releases First Quarter 2010 Report on Informal Consumer Inquiries and Complaints The Commission has released its first quarter 2010 report on informal consumer inquiries and complaints. Wireline complaints increased by nearly two percent first quarter of 2010 to 26,391 from 25,925 in the fourth quarter of 2009. Telephone Consumer Protection Act - Other Issues, Telephone Consumer Protection Act - Do Not Call List and Telephone Consumer Protection Act - Unsolicited Fax ranked as the top categories of Wireline Telecommunciations complaints, and when combined, totaled more than 84 percent of the complaints in the reported sub-categories. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 8/17/10) Compliance Deadline for One Day Porting for Small Carriers Is Feb. 2, 2011 The deadline for small wireline and wireless carriers to comply with the one-business day porting of simple wire-line and simple intermodal port requests has been set as February 2, 2011. On May 13, 2009, the Commission adopted a Report and Order (the Porting Interval Order) reducing the porting interval for all entities subject to its local number portability (LNP) rules from four business days to one business day for simple wireline-to-wireline and simple intermodal port requests. Under the LNP rules, all providers follow the standardized fields, provisioning flows, and mandatory business hours. While most carriers were required to implement simple wireline and intermodal ports by Au-gust 2, 2010, small providers were given an additional six months to comply. Small providers also have options for seeking modification of the new LNP interval requirements, such as the ability to petition a State commission for suspension or modification of section 251(b) (which includes the "duty to provide, to the extent technically feasible, number portability in accordance with requirements prescribed by the Commission") under section 251(f)(2) of the Act. Small providers can also apply for a waiver of the one-business day porting interval under the Commission's rules where it would be unduly economically burdensome for the provider to implement the reduced porting interval. (Source: BloostonLaw 8/13/10)
national Broadband plan
Vilsack Replies to OPASTCO Letter Expressing Concern for Effect of NBP on RUS
Loans to Rural Broadband Providers
Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack last week replied to a letter sent
by OPASTCO June 14 expressing its concern for the potential effect the
National Broadband Plan (NBP) could have on the repayment terms of USDA
Rural Utilities Service (RUS) loans taken on by rural broadband providers.
Archive of USAC Rural Health Care Webinar Now Available
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has made available on
its website
the archive of its Aug. 17 webinar on the Universal Service Fund's Rural
Health Care Program. Materials include video, presentation slides and
written responses to certain frequently asked questions.
Federal Legislation
Public Safety Spectrum Act Introduced in Senate
Sen. John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W. Va.) introduced S. 3756,
the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act, which would direct
the FCC to reallocate D-block spectrum for use as a public-safety broadband
network. Other provisions of the bill include the requirement of the FCC to
develop technical and operational standards to ensure nationwide
interoperability and build-out; the establishment of standards to allow public
safety officials to lease capacity on the network when not in use; the provision
of incentive auction authority; and the use of funds from spectrum auctions and
network leases to be used for the construction and maintenance of the network.
(Source: OPASTCO 411, 8/10/10) Legislation to Increase Broadband Stimulus by $4 Billion Introduced in Senate Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced S. 3710, the Broadband Program Reauthorization Act, which would allocate $2 billion each in fiscal year 2011 appropriations funding for the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). Projects supported by BIP funding would be required to serve predominantly rural areas, and priority would be given to applications for projects that would give end-users a choice of service providers; applications made by current or former RUS borrowers; and for projects that would be fully funded were the application approved. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 8/10/10) Customer Identity Information Protection Bill Introduced in Senate Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W. Va.) last week introduced S. 3742, the Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2010, which would require businesses and non-profit organizations that own or possess data containing personal information to establish reasonable security policies and procedures to protect such data. In the event of a security breach, businesses would be required to notify each individual whose information was acquired or accessed as a result of the breach within 60 days. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 8/12/10) What's New at BroadbandUSA.gov Latest Round of Broadband Stimulus Recipients Announced The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced the most recent recipients of broadband stimulus award funding. This group of recipients includes support for the creation of broadband public safety networks, which will be constructed in California, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico and North Carolina. For the complete list of recipients and project descriptions, please visit the White House's website.
September 12-15, 2010 - WTA 2010 Fall Meeting, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. For more information CLICK HERE September 14, 2010 - USTelecom free webinar, Wireline Networks’ Critical Role in the U.S. Information Economy September 19-22, 2010 - NTCA Fall Conference, Renaissance Grand Hotel & Suites, Holiday Inn Select, St. Louis, MO., www.ntca.org/events September 22-23, 2010 - USTelecom Broadband Research Summit, Washington DC October 6-7, 2010 - OPASTCO Technical & Marketing Symposium, Minneapolis, MN October 17-19, 2010 - NTCA Region 9 Meeting, The Davenport Hotel & Tower – Spokane, WA, www.ntca.org/events October 28, 2010 - USTelecom, Telecom Finance for Non-Financial Managers Seminar. Washington DC November 9-11, 2010 - TelcoTV 2010, Venetian Resort Hotel/Casino, Las Vegas, NV http://www.lightreading.com/live/event_information.asp?event_id=29388 November 14-17, 2010 - NARUC 122nd Annual Conference, "Keeping the Focus: Serving the Consumer Interest in Changing Times," Omni at CNN Center, Atlanta, GA http://annual.narucmeetings.org/
January 11-15, 2011 - NTCA Wireless
Symposium, Hyatt Savannah, Savannah, GA,
www.ntca.org/events
Seminar Series for 2010
August 2010 July 2010 June 2010
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