30 Years of Connection, Collaboration

Hello, again! As we head into the hottest part of the summer, I hope my fellow Tennesseans are finding ways to stay cool.

Something soothing to me is the progress we’re making on #ConnectingTN! That progress was evident during our recent Tennessee Broadband Association (TNBA) Annual Convention & Showcase, and I’m looking forward to highlighting it again during the TNBA/KYRBA Fall Conference & Supplier Showcase in October in Franklin.

It’s interesting to look back on the evolution of this upcoming conference. When the 2 associations hosted their first meeting together, my second child was not quite a year old. I was working in the sales/customer service department of the local telephone cooperative, connecting business customers with Nortel key systems, Mitel PBX, and the benefits of voicemail. Yes, voicemail! We were #ConnectingTN then, but I couldn’t have envisioned the progress of the next 30 years from landlines and dial-up internet to broadband, Gig, and Multi-Gig service.

Now, 30 years after that first joint conference, brands look a bit different as we plan the agenda and content. I’m pleased we’re looking at a shift in the next five to 10 years from the process of connecting Tennessee to maintaining a fully connected state.

Contributing to that shift will be providers’ continued efforts in supporting their networks with skilled workers and robust customer bases, along with attention to the effects of severe weather on physical infrastructure. Cybersecurity is another consideration our members will need to continue to address. 1 prediction that came out of the convention was that rural areas will see myriad benefits as broadband access spreads. I look forward to a day when every Tennessean can use telehealth and complete online schoolwork at home. And I anticipate the day when we change our slogan to #ConnectedTN!