Page 26 - July August 2017 Vol 35 No 2

TCAPWA EVENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS By Molly Gilbert

Upper East Branch Meets in Sevierville

Fiber Networks are now where access to
Viewed as Infrastructure power has been
replaced by access
Nicholas Bradshaw opened the Upper to bandwidth.
Branch meeting with industry event an- Joseph Jones,
nouncements and introductions. Forty- Director of Opera-
one people attended the June 6 meeting tions at On-Trac,
at Uncle Buck’s Restaurant at the Bass Pro Inc., a fiber deploy-
Shop in Sevierville. ment service com-
pany based in Mor-
Stefanie Ferrell, Senior Project Manager ristown, said, “Fiber
at LDA Engineering introduced the panel to the home is what
of speakers about the journey to greater in- the interstate system L to R: Joseph “Jody” Wigington, Stefanie Ferrell, Glenn Hanson, Joseph Jones,
novation, economic development, and im- was years ago.” Mark Tichenor, and Nicholas Bradshaw.
proved social interaction on the platform of
all fiber networks. “The federal government has declared all-fiber network from a vision to a reality.
internet connectivity as a necessary,” said Joseph “Jody” Wigington, General Man-
Glenn Hanson, of LDA Engineering gave Mark Tichenor, Vice President of Opera- ager/CEO of Morristown Utility Systems,
a presentation entitled “Design Consider- tions at On-Trac, Inc. “Once you get fiber said, “My guys are operating wastewater
ations for your Fiber Network” offering a in, you are not going back. That kind of systems off iPads.” The technology upgrade
detailed overview of building options and speed exceeds anything you have ever has reduced truck rolls by 6,000 per year
the situations that best suit them. “Broad- experienced with copper. Copper is going and the community is seeing not only the
band and fiber services in Tennessee ranks away. It’s a limited resource.” benefits of quality of life for individuals, but
29th in the U.S. in terms of connectivity… “A community that does not have robust also the technology as an industrial recruit-
13 percent of people in Tennessee do not broadband will not make it economically,” ment tool.
have access to broadband,” Hanson said. Tichenor said. “People are flocking to cities Lunch was sponsored by On-Trac, Inc.,
that are broadband cities.” and LDA Engineering. Stringfellow, Inc.,
In our knowledge-based economy, we Morristown has taken steps to bring an and TPW Magazine provided door prizes.
are now at a remarkable tipping point,

1400 Nashville City Center • 511 Union Street • Nashville, TN 37219 • 615-770-8100
1661 International Drive • Suite 400 • Memphis, TN 38120 • 901-753-5590
2095 Lakeside Centre Way • Suite 120 • Knoxville, TN 37922 • 865-521-6777
www.gspnet.com

26 TPW July/August 2017