Rural broadband operators do more than connect homes to the Internet. They inherently bring together communities. In this issue of the Viodi, we feature interviews with two geographically distinct broadband operators and how they are improving the communities they serve in ways that go beyond broadband.
A Miracle League on the Home Field
Baseball is a sport like no other. In a world of non-stop distractions, it hearkens back to a simpler time. It is an individual sport, but it takes a team to win. It is slow with flashes of speed and agility. It is a challenging sport to master.
Unfortunately, many do not have the chance to even attempt to master it, because of physical or other challenges. For the kids living in Berkeley County, South Carolina who otherwise would have been shut out of baseball, Moncks Corner Home Telecom Miracle Field is giving everyone a chance to participate in America’s Pastime.
21st Century Training for the Broadband Workforce
Northwood Technical College in Wisconsin is working to address broadband workforce development challenges in rural communities by developing an innovative online training program in partnership with NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association. Northwood Tech’s Broadband Academy is self-paced and open-ended so that students can learn on their own timeline, wherever convenient. It is the partnership with broadband service providers that makes this program unique.
Extending NCTC’s Reach with Reach and More
The National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) recently announced a series of deals that will enable its members to become Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). Beyond the headlines, these deals will not only be beneficial to its members but promise to help NCTC, in the words of Lou Borelli, “Create a more diversified, sustainable revenue stream.” Note, Google’s Bard assisted as an editor on the article associated with this interview).
The Hidden, Low-Cost Radar that Sees Near and Far
The sensor as part of the bumper, much the way skin on a human both protects and feels, is the concept behind what Plastic Omnium calls 4D Imaging radar. Developed in partnership with Greenerwave, Plastic Omnium’s approach promises greater resolution, at lower cost, while avoiding styling compromises often associated with traditional automobile sensors.
Some Tweets and Short Thoughts
- Some may recognize Tom Pyle from his days behind @Viodi’s camera at ACA, NCTC, and NTCA events. He recently revealed his alter ego, as Boise State University’s Buster Bronco. It was an honor to be his sometime handler.
- “Time is money,” writes another former @viodi sometime helper, Charlie-Hourglass, in his announcement about the launch of “the first-ever marketplace where time can be traded.” Or, as the great poet, Graeme Edge once wrote, “Time’s the only real wealth you have got.”
- My takeaway from the many videos filmed with @ACAConnects members is that people in rural America have to rely on each other to overcome the challenges of living so close to the land. @ACAMembers bring them together & help make their communities stronger. Thanks, Patty Boyers for the shoutout.
- Subscribe to Viodi’s LinkedIn and/or Twitter channels for more short takes and links to stories of interest that don’t make it into the Viodi View.
The Korner – An Opening Conversation about a New Kind of Open Access Network
Jackson, Wyoming will soon be home to an open-access, fiber-to-the-home network (OAN) with a twist. What makes this network, SilverLight, unique is that is privately owned and operated, allowing the citizens of Jackson to receive the benefits of the OAN approach, without the risks of a publicly-built network.
As Silver Star Communications CEO and Chairman, Allen Hoopes, describes, the Silver Star team sees the private OAN approach, embodied in their SilverLight effort, as an opportunity to work with rural communities desperate for broadband access.
