DTC Illustrates Smart Rural Community Benefits

Local officials celebrate co-op’s fiber achievements

Local officials across the DTC Communications service area know it’s a great place to live and work, but now they have one more reason to tout the benefits of the area.

After earning the Smart Rural Community designation from NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association in 2018, DTC chose to postpone a celebration until more of its service area was fully equipped with fiber. Then plans got delayed because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, with more than 75% of its service area having access to fiber, DTC invited about 25 key community members, including local and state elected officials and economic development coordinators, to help them better understand how they can leverage the hard work of DTC and its Smart Rural Community accolades.

“We wanted to make sure they understood what the program does and how to use it for our community,” says Chris Townson, DTC CEO and TNBA president. “Everyone who attended was thrilled. We presented them with a Smart Rural Community plaque and road signs, and talked about how we can partner together to promote our area.”

The Smart Rural Community program offers telecommunications providers across the U.S. the opportunity to generate positive publicity for their broadband networks and recognize how the services offered support important community efforts.

In addition to DTC, TNBA members Ben Lomand Connect, NCTC, and Twin Lakes are each part of the NTCA Smart Rural Community network.

“There’s nowhere in the country you can get faster broadband,” Townson says. “We know our area is second to none, and now we have one more way to work together and promote our community.”