NTCA opened its first large in-person event in 18 months on Saturday, as the 2021 Fall Conference got underway at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville.
While attention was paid to how NTCA and members had to pivot with the onset of the pandemic, the opening speakers put a strong emphasis on making the most of opportunities that will come from the current focus on broadband, as well as charting a course for the industry to be successful in the next decade.
NTCA Board Chairman Fred Johnson, chief executive officer of Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative (Rainsville, Ala.), challenged NTCA members to recommit to the association through committee participation, engaging in surveys and advocacy, and to not let the differences between cooperative and commercial members distract from NTCA’s central role as the chief authority on communications excellence for rural America.
“The explosion of broadband internet access and the pandemic-driven acceleration of its importance to all Americans has fundamentally reshaped the nature of our existence forever,” Johnson said. “Only those who adapt will survive what is truly a paradigm shift.”
NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield congratulated members for the many ways they extended connectivity and enabled economic opportunity during the pandemic, and she encouraged members to rally around the association’s vision to build a better broadband future for rural America by sharing their perspectives with lawmakers in person or through virtual advocacy.
Bloomfield also shared how NTCA continues to push for accountability at the FCC in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction and how, in response to NTCA advocacy, the commission recently agreed to waive the Universal Service Fund (USF) budget control mechanism, saving NTCA members from a nearly $111 million cut in USF support. NTCA has been advocating for broadband funding in Congress, and Bloomfield urged members to work with their state associations as states stand to be given authority over up to $65 billion in broadband funding if the infrastructure bill passes.
Bloomfield also encouraged members to use the #FiberDelivers campaign to tell their own unique story to encourage lawmakers to build networks right the first time by using fiber.
Looking ahead, Bloomfield shared that NTCA Board has been working on a roadmap for the industry, Vision 2030, which analyzes what it will take for the industry to thrive now and in the future.
“Video is King”
Recent statistics point to the future belonging to video, and it is no different for NTCA members in their efforts to market themselves to current and future customers, as well as telling the story of their brand.
In a session sponsored by the NTCA Marketing Committee, three marketing pros from NTCA member companies shared how video played an important role in recent branding, business development and member engagement campaigns. Dustin Schlaefli, director of customer engagement for Nex-Tech (Hays, Kan.), Rob Johnstone, chief executive officer of Range (Forsyth, Mont.) and Elizabeth Brown, marketing manager of Panhandle Telephone Cooperative (Guymon, Okla.), showcased the power of video communications in advancing each telco’s unique marketing goals.
EXPO is back!
Concluding the first full day of Fall Conference programming was a reception in the EXPO, featuring a small stage with presentations from several exhibitors and plenty of opportunities to reconnect over a bite to eat.
The NTCA Fall Conference will reconvene on Tuesday with more breakout sessions and EXPO hours.
