INDATEL Summer Symposium

I just landed back in DC after spending the last two days at the INDATEL Summer Symposium in Chicago.  Ten years ago, the idea for Indatel–the association for the independent-owned fiber network –was a brainstorm of a few folks running these state networks.  Today the group is a robust, exciting collaboration between nearly 30 state and regional fiber network providers.  Even the map of their impressive national footprint is already out of date with the addition of networks in California, Arkansas and Oregon as of the last few weeks.  I really appreciated the invitation of the group to join them to talk about partnerships and collaboration and my hope for INDATEL becoming a central point–along with all other interested and relevant players–for the rural telecom industry to achieve significant scope, scale and synergy to monetize and expand their networks.  I also hope that the industry will look at short term trade offs for long term gains for the industry as a whole.  I joined them today to ask that NTCA and INDATEL start here and now on brainstorming on potential opportunities and customers and to put that “independent” spirit a bit behind us and think more towards developing a “cooperative” spirit.  I am convinced that by working together–with INDATEL’s state assets, other key partners and NTCA’s telcos–and all of our combined relationships, that we can create a future for the rural telecom industry together.