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Committee Update [Rural Telecommunications](Rural Telecommunications Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NTCR-The Rural Broadband Association greatly values the thoughts, insights and input of its members. The contributions of NTCR committee members play a key role in helping the association further its mission, vision and values. The following committees held meetings during the 2013 Fall Conference in Chicago, III. For more information on these committees, visit www.ntca.org/about-ntca/ committees-councils. Rssociabe Member Advisory Council (RMRC) The RMRC committee distributed an associate member survey to determine how to better serve associate members. RMRC committee members will present two sessions, "Transitioning to an Rll IP Network: LUhat Does It Mean to Your Company?" and "The Realities of the Transformation Order," during the Rural Telecom Industry Meeting S EHPO. Governmenb Rffairs The Government Rffairs Committee continues to discuss a wide ranging number of issues, including the FCC's Universal Service Fund/lntercarrier compensation transformation order, TDM to IP evolution, FirstNet, ConnectEd, E-Rate, call completion, video, spectrum, and advocacy and political initiatives. Indusbry and Regulabory Policy and Compebibive and Rdvanced Services The Industry and Regulatory Policy Committee and the Competitive and Rdvanced Services Committee discussed the most recent conversations between NTCR members and staff with the FCC and other policymakers regarding the need for regulatory certainty and the need for an updated universal service mechanism that will support broadband-capable networks, regardless of what specific service a customer may purchase. The committees provided input on potential newt steps to address these critical issues and discussed how resolution of these issues is critical to the sustainability of rural telco networks. Innovabions 8 Business Opponbunibies The committee identified over-the-top video, remote monitoring and customer premises connectivity as potential new sources of recurring revenue for telcos. Committee members also suggested several topics for NTCR's upcoming technical conferences. The committee also reviewed initiatives to enplore small business opportunities in government contracting, including FirstNet. Markebing The Marketing Committee discussed topics for the 2014 PR G Marketing Conference, and recommended adding a video category to the 2014 TeleChoice flwards program to highlight promotional videos and local content that rural telecom providers have leveraged to support marketing and PR initiatives. Meebings and Educabion The committee discussed ways to enhance NTCR's Live Learning Center and suggested a variety of ways to make the Regional Conferences more compelling, including more networking time, more roundtables with focused issues, a hands-on project at the end of a meeting, and having a session transition into a roundtable. Technical The committee discussed FirstNet and the potential for leveraging and/or ewpanding rural carriers' ewisting networks as part of this project. Committee members noted their ongoing communication with their state points of contact and the need to respond to NTCR's calls for information. The committee also discussed the association's work with the Communications Sector Coordinating Council, which is working on the cybersecurity framework being developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.^ (c) 2014 National Telephone Cooperative |