'Leaving the house' to make an impact.

Woody Allen once said that 98% of life is just showing up. There's great truth to that sentiment. My interpretation of that statement is this: By just being involved in something, you are miles ahead of the 98% of the people that didn't even bother to leave the house.

In the rural telecommunications industry, it is mighty tough right now to "leave the house." Management is struggling not only with painful technological choices for their core businesses, but also with the variety of new ventures into competitive and advanced services that have cropped up since the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

In light of the attention that must be given these endeavors, managers and directors can be forgiven for pushing legislative and regulatory matters lower on their priority list. However, we do so at our peril. Congress, the FCC, state legislatures and state public utility commissions are all taking actions that will have profound implications for the future viability of rural telephone companies.

Over the past few months, I have had a few opportunities to "leave the house." Shortly after returning from NTCA's Legislative Conference in April, I received a call from an aide to Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.). The communications subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee were holding a joint meeting to discuss eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) status on Indian reservations. The aide asked if I'd be willing to be a witness. I was extremely busy at the time, but I bit the bullet and agreed to go back to Washington, D.C.

When I arrived, it turned out that there were only two witnesses from the telecommunications industry--myself, and the CEO of Western Wireless, a cellular outfit that operates in the western United States. In my testimony, I discussed some of the truly remarkable things we have done on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. Western Wireless' CEO then delivered his testimony, which was riddled with highly dubious claims regarding the capabilities of cellular service.

For instance, he tried to assure the committees that loss of cellular power in bad weather was not an issue for rural customers, as the company has generators at its tower site. Of course, we know this does little good for the consumer whose phone battery has died. He also blasted wireline companies and statewide associations for pressing companies seeking ETC status for details of reliability and assurances of service. I responded to his points as best I could, and I wondered how many of these hearings are taking place without anyone present from our industry to dispel such narratives.

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Shortly after coming home, I received another call. This one was from a senior policy analyst at the FCC, who was looking for a guest speaker to talk about rural telephone companies. I flew back to Washington and spoke about the challenges and opportunities inherent in providing basic and advanced services in sparsely populated rural areas. The audience consisted of the bureau chiefs and their policy staffs--the people who actually write the orders at the FCC. I don't know if my speech did any good, but it couldn't have hurt. Goodness knows they hear plenty of speeches from the "big money" companies.

My hope is that when other folks in the rural telephone industry have a chance to represent our interests, whether it is in our nation's capital or in their state capitals, they will act on those opportunities. Your statewide and national association representatives simply cannot be everywhere at once. And the issues facing us now are too important to let slip through the cracks. In other words, don't be part of that 98% that could have made an impact but didn't, just because they didn't want to "leave the house."

MIKE STRAND is executive vice president and general counsel for Montana Independent Telecommunications Systems. He can be reached at [e-mail].

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