The Association

The Tennessee Broadband Experts

The Tennessee Broadband Association is an industry trade organization formed for the purpose of promoting telecommunications service in Tennessee. The Association is comprised of independent and cooperatively owned companies that connect almost 30 percent of the state with broadband and related services. Together these companies have invested more than $240 million in recent years to connect rural Tennesseans with fiber networks. The Association may engage only in activities that may be carried on by a corporation exempt from Federal Income Taxes under Section 501 (c) (6) of the Internal Revenue code or any section of any statue adopted in succession thereof.

Currently, the Association is comprised of eighteen Tier I members employing approximately 1,000 people, serving approximately 240,000 access lines. Tier I members are companies owning or operating one or more exchanges in Tennessee on or before January 1, 1995. This membership category includes (10) ten commercial companies, and (8) eight cooperatives.

The Association also includes (3) three Tier II members which are telecommunications companies authorized to do business in Tennessee under an approved franchise or certificate of convenience and necessity issued by the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. These members are engaged in telecommunications services such as inter-exchange carrier services, local exchange service, (but not eligible as Tier I members), cellular service, paging, internet services, personal communications service, and cable TV. Our Associate membership consists of approximately one hundred twenty-five (125) members with interest in common with the organization, which do business with Company members, (Tier I and Tier II). These members represent manufacturing concerns, sales organizations, CPAs, bankers, attorneys, consultants, lobbyists, engineering firms, publishers, and others. Tier I and Tier II members have voting privileges and Board representation as specified in our By-Laws. The Associate members also have a representative on the Board who was given voting privileges in 2002.