Teleco Begins with Office Construction

April 20, 2011
Coyote News, est. 1976
Vol. 36, No. 08
TeleC·Qbegins with office construction
"I
By Dave McMechan
Spifyay Tymoo
The Warm Springs Telecommunications Co. began work last week on remodeling the old apparel building at the
industrial park.
The building will be the main office
of the telecommunications
company,
housing electronic equipment, offices
and customer service area, The main
area of the building has been vacant
for the past several years. The structure needs a new roof, among other
improvements.
The Warm Springs Telecommunications Company (WSTC) last year received $5,3 million-half
by grant and
half as a loan-from
U.S, Department
of Agriculture Rural Development.
The company-the
tribes' newest
enterprise-will
bring high-speed
Internet, telephone and video to the
reservation, About 1,000 local homes
and businesses will have access to the
company's services,
The enterprise itself will employ 19
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'On hand for the ground breaking were TeleCo general manager Adam Haas,
chief executive officer Jeff Anspach, Tribal Councilman Scott Moses, state
director of USDA Rural Development Vikki Walker, TeleCa board. director
Sal Sahme, and tribal Secretary-Treasurer
Jody Calica.
people. Board members believe the
improved telecommunications on the
reservation will bring new business and
more employment opportunities.
WSTC is only the ninth triballyowned telecommunications company in
the U.S., out of a total of 565 federally recognized tribes. The nine tribal
telecommunications companies are
members of the National Tribal
Telecommunications
Association
(NTTA).
'J ose Matanane, past president of
the association and former general
manager of the Fort Mojave telecommunications company, was on
hand last week for the Warm
Springs teleco dedication.
The Fort Mojave company has
been in operation for about 20
years, employs 17 people, and
serves 1,100 customers. Since the
company began, "We've seen the
quality of life go up," Matanane
said.
The monthly service rate at Fort
Mojave is very reasonable, including a $1 per month -rate for those .
who qualify for the hardship program, he said.
The oldest tribal teleco is Cheyenne River Sioux Telephone Authority, founded in 1958.
See WSTC on page 9
WSTC:
system could be operatinqthis fall
(Continued from page 1)
The newest is Warm Springs.
Six of the tribal telecommunications companies are in Arizona, and one is in New
Mexico.
.'
Sal Sahme, chairman of the
WSTC board of directors,
served as master of ceremonies
last week at the ground-breaking and dedication.
He introduced the WSTC
chief executive officer Jeff
Anspach,
general manager
Adam Haas, and regulatory
manager Marsha 'Spellman.
Like other reservations,
Warm Springs is underserved in
its telecommunications system,
said Haas. Much of the telecommunications infrastructure, on
the reservation is from the
1980s, and needs to, be brought
up to date.
About 65 percent of thetribal
residents have basic phone service, compared to 95 percent on
average among Oregonians.
Less than half of Warm Springs
households
have access to
broadband, limiting access to
basic internet and email service.
The tribes first began looking at telecommunications improyement in 2002. A \funding
application a few years ago was
rejected, while a more recent
application was approved last
year.
"We're excited to see this
project advance to the next
level," said Vikki Walker, USDA
RuralDevelopment State Director. "It will hell? drive economic
deve~oprnent in the community
for years to come."
WSTC board
chairman
Sahme said, ''We'need the abil1
" We need the ability
to create more jobs
here on the reservation. I see this new
compatry as a source
of employment for
our young people ... IJ
Sal Sahme
ity to create more jobs here on
the reservation. I see this new
company as a source of employment for our young people,
including the kind of jobds that
our educated youth will find attractive.
''At this time in our history,
we have the greatest number of
young people in high school and
now in higher education. We
need to have a source of jobs,
as well as opportunities for individuals to live on the reservation, and create other jobs that
they will be able to do with high
speed broadband accessible to
all," he said.
"It is also important from a
tribal sovereignty standpoint
that .th e WSTC is tribally
owned and operated. Profits
the company will generate will
stay on the reservation and
leverage more economic development and improve our standard of living."
. The fiber optic network will
also support a number of other
priorities identified in the 2002
assessment, including the public safety radio network.
The plan is for the system to
be jn operation this fall.