National Telecommunications
Cooperative Association
Responses to evolving technology, deregulation key to members’ future
he National
Telecommunications
Cooperative Association
(NTCA) is a nonprofit
association representing
about 560 small and rural telephone
cooperatives (or “telcos”) and commercial
telephone companies. These telcos
serve more than 3.6 million rural businesses
and residences and employ
more than 14,000 people.
In an era of rapidly evolving technology,
deregulation and marketplace
competition, NTCA’s goal is to ensure
that rural Americans receive telecommunications
service on par with those
available to urban residents and at
comparable rates.
NTCA’s members are complete
communications providers, offering
every service from basic phone to highspeed
broadband Internet to video
entertainment. NTCA is a full-service
association, offering a wide array of
member services, including: an effective
government affairs program; expert
legal and industry representation; a
broad range of educational services;
comprehensive regular and special publications
and public relations programs;
assistance with business and technology
programs; and a complement of national
and regional meetings.
NTCA also offers a complete range
of employee benefits programs through
its wholly owned subsidiary, Services
Management Corporation (SMC). The
$1 billion benefits program ensures that
members and their employees have
health care, retirement income, savings
plans, and insurance. The
Telecommunications Education
Committee Organization (TECO) is the
association’s political action committee.
The Foundation for Rural Service
(FRS) is NTCA’s nonprofit, 501(c)(3)
organization. The foundation’s mission
is to promote, educate and advocate to
the public on rural telecommunications
issues in order to sustain and enhance
the quality of life within rural communities.
Funded solely through contributions,
FRS supports a number of programs
that address the needs of rural
communities and, in particular, the
youth of rural America. The foundation
sponsors a college scholarship program
and an annual Youth Tour that brings
rural high school students to the
nation’s capital to learn about the
telecommunications industry and to
witness the legislative process. It also
runs an advocacy campaign, providing
information to help increase awareness
of important telecom issues facing rural
consumers across the country.
NTCA’s record of service and
achievement has led policymakers and
the public, alike, to have confidence in
its capabilities. This year marks
NTCA’s 50th anniversary as the voice
of rural telecommunications. While
much has changed in 50 years, the one
thing that has remained constant: dedication
to members and the success of
rural telecommunications.
Recent NTCA accomplishments
include:
- Its intercarrier compensation work
group undertook an extensive data
collection to evaluate the impact of
access charge reform proposals on
rural incumbent local exchange carriers.
- Lobbied successfully to change the
Federal Communication
Commission’s attribution rules
requiring a cooperative to include a
director’s outside income in the company’s
revenues when applying for
spectrum bidding credits.
- With other associations, NTCA filed
a joint petition with the FCC and a
notice of appeal with the U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals for D.C.,
challenging the FCC’s intermodal
(wireline-to-wireless) local number
portability rules.
- Successfully challenged Financial
Accounting Standard Board 150
rules requiring cooperatives to treat
retained capital credits as liabilities
rather than equity.
- Was instrumental in the creation and
passage of a new communications
law in Nigeria.
- Conducted a comprehensive case
study of its work in the early 1990s
to create two Polish telecom cooperatives,
both of which are still thriving,
more than 10 years later.
Contact information: website:
www.ntca.org; phone: 703-351-2000;
address: 4121 Wilson Blvd., 10th floor,
Arlington, Va. 22203. CEO: Michael
E. Brunner; Board President: Norman
T. Welker, president, McDonough
Telephone.
