Bringing Broadband to the Underserved - National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)

Bringing Broadband to the Underserved

The need for broadband in all reaches of the country is real. It is becoming a necessity for residents in rural areas and critical to their quality of life, not to mention the impact it can have economically. The NISC staff traveled to Atlanta, Ga. this week to participate in Broadband Communities Magazine’s Economic Development Conference to discuss how we can all join together to build out broadband and maximize potential benefits.

NISC’s Vice President of Member and Industry Jasper Schneider led a panel at the conference called “Partners on the Road to Rural Broadband” and was joined by panelists Kevin Larson, CEO/General Manager of Consolidated Telephone Co., Jeremy Nelms, P.E. – Director of Economic Development, Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation, and Hilda Legg, Vice Chairman of Broadband Communities. The panel discussed their experiences, successes and challenges of partnering to bring broadband to underserved areas.

NISC wants to help empower this initiative however we can. This summer NISC joined forces with NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, NRTC and National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp. and developed a new site, www.PartnersInBroadband.com, to match electric cooperatives, utilities and municipalities with nearby partners experienced in telecommunications. Together, their goal is to evaluate options to address the broadband gap and promote partnerships wherever possible.

Let’s strengthen our communities by building broadband together.