The Network News: June 2022

The Network News is VETRO’s quarterly roundup of resources, news, events and more.

Greetings from VETRO HQ! The Network News is VETRO’s roundup of resources, news, events and more. Let’s check out what’s new across the wide world of fiber!

VETRO Customer Highlights

VETRO Customer Spotlight

In Massachusetts, the town of Sterling’s 100+ year old light utility, Sterling Municipal Light Department (SMLD) is now offering symmetrical gigabit internet to their customers via their project, Sterling Local Area Municipal Broadband – or LAMB, for short. 

The inspiration for the project’s name comes from SMLD’s deep sense of connection to the town. In the 1800’s, Sterling Resident Mary Sawyer inspired the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb” when her pet lamb followed her to school. In the spirit of history’s most iconic ruminant mammal boldly breaking away from the flock to sneak in a day of education, Sterling LAMB is breaking new ground with their all-fiber to the premise services, priced transparently for the community’s homes and businesses. 

In Arkansas, the electric cooperatives are proving that working together makes you stronger. Thirteen Arkansas electric coops have come together to create a new wholesale broadband provider, Diamond State Networks.

Arkansas has historically ranked near the lowest connected states in the US. Diamond State Networks’ mission is to take their state from the bottom to the top of the list by connecting participating coop networks and other area providers into a statewide fiber ring poised to serve ISPs and their customers in the state and surrounding regions. Click here to find out more about DSN and their family of coops.  

At VETRO, we love our #fiberfamily. To keep up with all of our customer news,  follow us on your favorite socials:

Join us at Fiber Connect

June 12-15, 2022

VETRO is excited to be attending Fiber Connect 2022! We’re excited to send  a killer team down to Nashville, TN this year, so stop by booth 711 and say hello to VETRO team members both new and familiar. 

Plus, don’t miss VETRO CEO Will Mitchell’s presentation during the Operator Best Practices Break Out Track, Monday June 13th at 2:30PM

Want to get a closer look at VETRO or talk fiber mapping with us? Stop by our booth (711) to connect. We look forward to seeing you!

Join our Next Live Virtual Event:

Telecompetitor Presents

A Public-Private Partnership Success Model

Wednesday, June 22 at 3pm ET

Earlier this year, Peggy Schaffer, Executive Director of Connect Maine Authority, led her program to successfully secure $28 million in NTIA grant money.

To achieve this landmark funding for her state, Peggy assembled key partnerships including private operators, data providers, engineering experts and technology partners to craft a comprehensive and practical approach to transforming Maine’s rural broadband landscape.

In this webinar, Peggy and leaders from key Connect Maine partners will take a closer look at the program’s successes and share how to replicate them for private and public entities seeking funding. 

The panel includes VETRO CEO Will Mitchell, Tilson Technologies Manager of Broadband Consulting Frederic Feit, CostQuest Associates VP of Business Development Mike Wilson, and will be moderated by Brian Mefford, VP of Broadband Strategy at VETRO, Inc. 

Visit our Youtube Channel for the latest: a look at the simplicity of high level costing in VETRO and the recording of our recent webinar, Planning for Growth with VETRO FiberMap.

While you’re at it: watch the the Institute for Local Self-Reliance “Connect This!” Podcast’s latest episode, in which VETRO’s Brian Mefford joins host Christopher Mitchell and fellow panelists to talk about the FCC’s fabric data initiative and more. 

With trade show season in full swing, don’t forget to swing by our events page to get dates for all of our upcoming trade shows, webinars and speaking engagements. 

Know someone looking for their next opportunity? Tell them to visit our careers page and check out our current open positions. New openings are posted weekly. 

May was a busy month at VETRO as team members traveled to events across the country. The best part of such a busy schedule is having the chance to connect with colleagues and customers – all whom are as passionate as we are about bridging the digital divide.

It’s an exciting time in our industry, with big changes already shaping our landscape and more to come as investments and policies begin to bear fruit.

At the same time, events on both a national and global scale have many of us coping with grief, crisis and uncertainty – while still working diligently toward our professional goals.

In times such as these, authentic connection matters; our fiber broadband community matters more than ever. As we all search for the goal posts in our shaky “new normal,” our team will continue our dedication to professional integrity, community support, and the recognition that it’s the people behind the networks that make them great.  

Sincerely, 
Will Mitchell & the VETRO Team

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