Nine Rural Telcos Receive NTCA Gig-Capable Certification

NTCA -- The Rural Broadband Association said it has certified nine small service providers as Gig-Capable Providers under a program announced earlier in 2015. The goal of that program is to build awareness and industry recognition of community-based providers that have built gigabit networks. To obtain certification, rural telecommunication companies must document that gigabit technology is currently commercially available within 95 percent of one or more exchanges within their serving territory. They also must show that the service can be provided without new trenching or stringing new aerial facilities.

The nine companies that have received certification are:

NineStar Connect, Indiana
Wilkes Communications, North Carolina
Polar Communications, North Dakota
SkyLine Membership Corporation, North Carolina
Omnitel Communications, Iowa
Premier Communications, Iowa
Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative, Kentucky
West Wisconsin Telecom Cooperative
Dickey Rural Networks, North Dakota