A few years ago, my parents decided to abandon their suburban city home and semiretire to Deale, Md., a rural community situated on the Chesapeake Bay. For the first few years of their residence, Deale did not have a convenient, reliable broadband alternative. My parents not only had grown accustomed to high-speed Internet to keep in touch with friends and family, but also used the Internet to telecommute to their day jobs and support their part-time home business.

By Ward, Jesse

A few years ago, my parents decided to abandon their suburban city home and semiretire to Deale, Md., a rural community situated on the Chesapeake Bay. They were thrilled with the quaint town on the water's edge, neighbors who stopped by daily to check in on the house renovations, and the nearby family owned restaurants, marinas, and independent pharmacy and grocery store. However, they were unprepared for the lack of broadband connectivity.

For the first few years of their residence, Deale did not have a convenient, reliable broadband alternative. The only option was satellite technology. And, as they soon found out, trees and storms caused frequent service disruptions.

My parents not only had grown accustomed to high-speed Internet to keep in touch with friends and family, but also used the Internet to telecommute to their day jobs and support their part-time home business. Without dependable broadband connectivity in Deale, their livelihood was impossible.

Thankfully, the local telecom provider soon offered highspeed cable Internet to all residents. However, this experience reinforced to my family that technology was no longer a luxury, but rather a necessity.

In this issue, we explore facets of existing and budding technologies, and how these technologies are enabling a new way of life. The cover story, "Putting the Customer in (Remote) Control: The Evolution of Video Content Delivery," discusses the varied history of video delivery, from broadcast TV to cable and satellite technologies. Author Rick Schadelbauer examines IPTV, a technology that is changing the video content landscape and enabling value- added services, such as video on demand, pay per view and interactive program guides.

End users already expect speed and mobility at the touch of their fingertips from a variety of communications services. Soon, customers also will demand these services work interchangeably and seamlessly synch with one another. In the article "IMS - A Key Enabler of Services and Wireline Network Transformation," Frank Wiener explains how you can prepare and transform your ordinary network into one that is capable of taking on extraordinary new things.

As consumer demand for all things wireless increases, the battle over access to spectrum is heating up. The search for spectrum-both licensed and unlicensed-is well under way, as Jim Thoreen shares in the article "Utilizing Wireless Solutions: The Quest for Rural Spectrum."

Without question, broadband technology opens the door to endless opportunities. Authors Jim Biard and Dennis Couture explore the idea of "Advancing Toward a Broadband World." This article provides an overview of positive outcomes of broadband technology and how policy- makers can foster a broadband friendly environment.

Broadband technology is so important, in fact, that many municipalities have taken it upon themselves to implement municipal broadband networks for residents and visitors. "The State of Municipal Broadband Networks," by Michael J. Balhoff, CFA, and Robert C. Rowe, Esq., examines existing municipal broadband networks and implications for government policy.

Indeed technology is transforming the traditional concepts of home, business and play, and, in just a few short years, broadband has become a staple in our lives. My parents probably never recognized the critical role that technology plays in breaking down barriers, such as distance and time, until they endured a few years without reliable broadband service.

As you read this issue, ponder the future of the industry. I can only imagine how technologies that are just around the corner will further transform our daily lives, opening the door to new opportunities.

Jesse Ward

Publications Manager

jward@ntca.org

Copyright National Telephone Cooperative May/Jun 2006

(c) 2006 Rural Telecommunications. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.