One of the seven cooperative principles is “cooperation among cooperatives” – the idea that we can all learn, and benefit from, each other and that we’re stronger when we collaborate.
I marvel at how well and how often community-based broadband providers work together to address challenges, seize opportunities and improve the services they provide to their communities.
That same spirit exists between the national cooperative organizations who support those providers. NRTC has a long, rich and proud history of working with NTCA to benefit the shared members we serve.
The head of NTCA has a permanent seat on our board (we love having Shirley in the room!) Last year, we collaborated on a special mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) solution exclusively for NTCA members.
Under this arrangement, NTCA members have exclusive access to special financing for devices, an activation credit for new mobile subscribers and marketing support to promote their bundled offering and help drive subscribers. Up-front business start-up fees will also be waived for NTCA members.
In addition to the financial support designed to help drive business success, NTCA members have access to provisioning, billing, ecommerce, customer and logistics support services from NRTC that make it easier to add a mobile offering to their suite of services – either as part of a bundle or as a stand-alone service.
So far, 12 NTCA members have implemented a mobile offering through this collaboration. Five other companies are currently launching the service, and we are talking to an additional 36 about the benefits of the program.
As telecommunications companies and rural broadband providers know quite well, competition is increasing, which is driving the need to innovate and evolve product offerings. With more cable companies and other broadband providers adding/bundling mobile, it is becoming an imperative offering to stay relevant in the marketplace.
NRTC has been honored to work with NTCA staff to get the word out about this program and help NTCA members evaluate whether this MVNO offering can enhance their existing service offering.
In addition to general promotional and communications vehicles, NTCA invited NRTC and Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative Corporation (Gainesboro, Tenn.) to share their MVNO story at this year’s RTIME. Twin Lakes General Manager and CEO Jonathan West talked about the company's desire to get a great product out of the door on Day One, noting "NRTC with [its] experience, [its] relationships, the access to handsets, the ecosystem, the ecommerce, all of those pieces.. [was] really what led us to choose [them]."
NRTC truly values its relationship with NTCA and collaborating for the benefit of the members we serve. We look forward to exploring additional opportunities in the future.