TMCnet News
RTMC returns $1.4 million to members [The Courier-Tribune, Asheboro, N.C. :: ](Courier-Tribune (Asheboro, NC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 10--ASHEBORO -- Overcast skies did not deter over 400 members of the Randolph Telephone Membership Corp. (RTMC) from attending its 56th annual meeting Saturday at the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA. Locally owned and operated, Randolph Telephone is also celebrating its 60th year of serving communities in Randolph, Alamance, Chatham, Davidson, Moore, and Montgomery counties. Currently, RTMC is deploying fiber throughout its network to bring faster broadband services, better quality phone service and digital television entertainment services. "We are still in the midst of a major rebuild of our network to ensure members will be able to continue to receive the most advanced services and broadband speeds imaginable," CEO and General Manager Frankie Cagle said. "Last year, we budgeted $4 million for this and we have budgeted to spend $7 million in 2014 to meet members' needs, which includes making our MyTV service available to every customer in the very near future. "Currently Randolph Telephone has 17 crews working on the fiber build out -- you may have seen them out on their tractors working and once the fiber is put down, the process still takes several week as we convert your homes to fiber. "RTMC has also been notified by the North Carolina Utilities Commission that the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) has ruled to exhaust the 336 area code sometime in 2016 which means they will institute an Overlay for that area code. (An overlay plan is the practice of introducing a new area code by applying it onto a geographic area that is already occupied by one or more existing area codes, resulting in two or more area codes serving the same area.) Simply put, it means all users with a 336 area code will go to 10-digit dialing. Area code exhaustion occurs when nearly all of the numbers in a specific area code area have been assigned to telephone service providers. Around the country, demand for new telephone numbers has grown rapidly rate in recent years, including the development of new technology, such as fax machines, cellular phones, and other telecommunications devices that require use of telephone numbers." Randolph Telephone informed its customers of the upcoming area code changes in their May billing and in The Courier-Tribune. There will be a process to this change-over, according to Cagle, and the company will continue to inform customers on its next steps. Cagle announced that RTMC will be returning $1.4 million in capital credits to its members. "After the co-op pays its bills, all the excess is returned to members," Cagle added. "Last year we returned $1.1 million. It has been really challenging because we are spending a lot of money to update the network but we are pleased to be able to do that. Returning the money to you is a win-win because that money will go back out into the community by way of purchasing groceries, gas and things like that." The membership also re-elected Melvin Nunn Jr. and Janice Scott to the board for three-year terms. Nunn serves the Liberty area, while Scott represents the Bennett area. ___ (c)2014 The Courier-Tribune, Asheboro, N.C. Visit The Courier-Tribune, Asheboro, N.C. at www.courier-tribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |