The players arrived ready for action, gear in hand, ready for 3 days of learning and camaraderie… but we’re not talking about the Boston Red Sox! On September 24th, over 1,500 NTCA members from across the country met in Boston, MA to discuss emerging telecommunications trends, engage in panel discussions, and best of all—reconnect with friends in the industry.
NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield opened the event with a recap of the ever-present universal service reform debate—no doubt, an issue on the minds of many. Next, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler took the stage; he echoed Shirley’s sentiments on the importance of universal access and outlined a plan to achieve this across the country by the end of 2015. Unsurprisingly, he highlighted several times throughout his speech the importance of rural broadband in the economic growth of our country.
Following Chairman Wheeler’s speech, Shirley announced the 2015 Smart Rural Community award winners comprised of 12 rural communities stretched across rural America. The Mapcom team was excited to hear several of our clients announced as winners—congratulations to Arvig (Perham, Minn.), Lakeland Communications (Milltown, Wis.), and Madison Telephone Co. (Staunton, Ill.) on their accomplishments! In addition to bragging rights for the remainder of the conference, the winners will join prior-year recipients in shaping the future of rural telecommunications as they develop best practices and serve as role models to their peers in the industry.
Add a dash of fun with Boston Duck Tours, the FRS fundraising event at the Boston Red Sox game, and some engaging entertainment throughout and you’ve got a fun, informative annual meeting that we already can’t wait to attend next year!