Smart Communities Fueled by Smart People!

Mapcom recognizes three clients, 2015 recipients of the Smart Rural Community Showcase Award

As the single, national voice for rural telecommunications, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is dedicated to ensuring that distance and geography are not barriers to innovation, growth and prosperity. In recognition of members succeeding in this effort, NTCA recently posted the 2015 winners of the Smart Rural Community Showcase Award for promoting access to next-generation applications and platforms such as distance learning, telehealth services, public safety and security. We are proud to have three members of the Mapcom family of clients included in this year’s winners. Read more about their involvement in their respective communities below. Congratulations!

Arvig
Perham, Minn.
Area served: 9,813 square miles

Technical highlights: The majority of Arvig’s network is cable modem with 100Mbps down-load and 5Mbps upload. Newfiber builds in the area enable 50–100 Mbps and higher symmetrical service.

Public Safety
The Perham Fire Department serves 164 square miles and five townships. Relying on broadband and LTE, each volunteer fire-fighter’s smartphone includes a mobile appthat allows the firefighter to view reported fires, use GPS to find the fire’s location, and confirm the availability of each team member.
The app also identifies the location of nearby fire hydrants.

Learn more at www.ntca.org/smart

Lakeland Communications Group, LLC
Milltown, Wis.
Area served: 237 square miles

Technical highlights: Lakeland Communications employs a range of technologies that include fiber, DSL and cable modem, and can provide capacities up to 100 Mbps on existing copper and over a gigabit in any of the fiber-fed communities.
Lakeland currently looks to be 100% incumbent local exchange carrier fiber-fed by 2016.

Health Care
Lakeland enables telemedicine for a hospital with six locations across two states. All campuses are connected and can review charts, X-rays and other records at any location. Specialists and radiologists relying on these telemedicine capabilities are able to ensure off-hours review of critical imaging reports, and can offer crucial care decisions in a moment’s notice.

Madison Telephone Co.
Staunton, Ill.
Area served: 102 square miles

Technical highlights: Madison Telephone Co. serves an additional 10 communities through a competitive local exchange carrier affiliate. The company utilizes the fiber to the premise, as well as fiber to the node and hybrid fiber/copper and fiber/coax.

Civic Engagement
Madison partners with state agencies, chamber executives and economic development professionals to provide forums for utilizing broadband to extend market outreach, advertising, cost-efficient inventory and financial transaction applications and public safety. The company’s headquarters training room serves as a community computer lab where company personnel offer basic courses as well as new technology workshops to encourage adoption and use.