March 2010

The Broadband Award:
A Reward That Will Ring Throughout Our Entire Service Area

North Central is the recipient of the first Broadband Funding Awarded in Tennessee and Kentucky. From the time of announcement, national interest has brought attention to the uniqueness of the award. “We are delighted that out of more than 2,200 applications submitted, ours struck a chord.”

“Under the direction of our Board of Directors, we took a straight forward approach in developing our application. This approach included more than a thousand pages of evidence, documentation, network designs and letters of support from the community.

The package showed how our customers and communities could directly benefit from this kind of technology. It will allow individuals and companies to have access to opportunities around the world. We believe this will deliver more jobs for our customers in the long run. We have been building fiber optics in parts of our service area for the past 2 years, and this will allow us to continue our momentum.”

NCTC will receive $49 Million to build a network fiber path to approximately 1,000 businesses and 15,000 homes.

January 25, 2010

North Central Telephone Is First In Tennessee and One Of The First In USA To Be Awarded Broadband Stimulus Funding. $49 Million Will Create Significant Local Opportunities

North Central Telephone Cooperative was one of 14 selected to receive funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement today. NCTC’s Recovery Act Broadband Infrastructure project includes a $24,715,709 grant as well as a $24,964,000 loan to provide fiber to the premise to homes and businesses in Macon County, Sumner County and part of Smith County.

“Our projections are that such a large scale deployment of advanced fiber-optic technology will impact almost 1,000 businesses and 15,000 homes in our service areas. We don’t have an interstate highway system today that brings the traffic this area needs to build our economy. But this funding allows North Central to provide something even better — an infrastructure that will make this area very attractive to business and industry,” said Nancy J. White, NCTC’s President and CEO.

This monumental project, which must be completed within three years, is unlike any ever experienced in this area, even from the larger telecom companies. Plans are to start construction immediately, simultaneously in the city of Lafayette, Sumner County and Smith County.

"We have worked with a build-out strategy that seems to be almost one of a kind, and we now can begin the creation of a new broadband plan that will even give us global advantage. It's more than just a few jobs, this means that our service community and customers will have a place in the new possibilities of broadband technology that will deliver their own economic futures," White said.

“There are many reasons I think our application was one of the first 30 awarded out of the 2200 applications filed,” said White. “First of all, we’ve demonstrated our ability to complete such a high-end project because of the fiber network we’ve already built in Allen County and Red Boiling Springs. This build-out will complement what we’ve already started in these areas.

“Secondly, we were able to show that this is a rural area that could not have afforded to provide fiber-optic technology without some assistance,” she continued. "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has proved that it can reach down to the level that can use it the most. NCTC could show cause and effect of how to make funds like this work for people. We made the need come alive with the potential,” White said.

“And thirdly, we had an amazing team effort. With letters from the fire departments, police departments, libraries and hospitals as well as support from our state senators and representatives, Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker, Bart Gordon, Michael McDonald, Terry Lynn Weaver and others, we were able to show that we have an amazing community behind such an effort, and that we would all work together for its success.”

“This project will have a positive impact on every aspect of our lives here in North Central Tennessee and Southern Kentucky — from telemedicine to online education to stimulating jobs to growing our communities. We are simply thrilled to be entrusted with such a responsibility and we pledge to work hard to make it worth while for our communities,” White said.

“I couldn’t possibly thank everyone who has been a part of this, but I’d like to mention a few: Albert Bodamer Consulting, Liz Merry Consulting, Ladd Engineering, Doyle Gaines, Connect Tennessee, and all of the employees of North Central Telephone.”

“NCTC marshaled a superior plan which addressed the ways to get broadband to the masses, the hope and substance of the Act, and determination of those accountable for the final outcome. This also defines who we are as a company. We operate as a cooperative that can compete on its merits of historic favor among customers. We are a come to company that does not intimidate folks who are just learning how to use the Internet. This trust and companionship to the substance of community was recognized as one of the assets. I am so proud that we stretched and won such a big goal," White summarized.

Vilsack announced a total of $313,475,239 in today. Altogether, Congress awarded USDA $2.5 billion in Recovery Act funding to help bring broadband services to rural un-served and underserved communities.