New development, plant expansion and upgrades, and

The
Communicator
Your.Complete.Communication.Services.Provider
Telephone, Long Distance, Wireless, Cable Television, Paging, Internet, Web Hosting
July 2006
19th St. & Cyclone Ave., Harlan, IA 51537 • (712) 744-3131 • [email protected].•.www.fmctc.com
New development, plant expansion
and upgrades, and new services into
new areas make for a busy summer
Construction season is here. Crews are busy engineering, constructing, and upgrading the FMCTC plant,
and installing services to homes and businesses. Crews
will add almost ten miles of fiber optics, copper and
coaxial cable to the FMCTC plant by summer’s end.
(654-5039)
This summer’s major projects include:
• Fiber optics and coaxial cable to Kingswood Lane
housing development in the Harlan Exchange
• Fiber optics and copper cable to Natural Dairy development in the Kirkman Exchange
• Fiber optics and copper cable to the Harlan, Jack-
sonville and Irwin Exchanges
• Installation of new AFC equipment
• Burying individual telephone and cable drops to
new members’ homes and businesses
• Expansion of wireless high speed Internet network
and services to new customers in the Panama, Portsmouth, and Shelby areas
fiber to the Premise Project
Your Cooperative is constantly focused on and planning for the future to meet the upcoming broadband
Grill Sergeants Tom
Conry & Ross Hastert
keep the burgers, chicken
and hotdogs a-comin’
at the Manilla BBQ. We
send a big ʻthanks’ to the
Cattleman’s Association
for the use of their grill.
“Pick my name, please.” Chloe Vonscoyk, Collin
Vonscoyk, Seth Woepke, Megan Swanson, and Josh Fow attended the FMCTC BBQ in Manilla and they hope to be one
of this year’s prize winners. This year’s kids’ prizes include
bowling gift certificates and a digital camera! All winners
will be announced at the conclusion of the summer BBQs.
Member Appreciation BBQs continue this summer
IRWIN ...................................................... Wednesday, July 5; Irwin Community Building
HANCOCK .............................................. Wednesday, July 19; Hancock City Park
WESTPHALIA ........................................ Wednesday, August 16; Location TBD. Watch your August newsletter
KIRKMAN .............................................. Wednesday, August 23; Kirkman Community Building
HARLAN/RURAL-HARLAN ................ Wednesday, August 30; Location TBD. Watch your August newsletter
• Serving hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken breast sandwiches 4-7PM
• Attendance gifts
• Adults register to win:
2006 BBQ
ÿ Advanced Feature Telephone
GRANd PRIZeS
ÿ 2 Months FREE Community Phone
ÿ 2 Months FREE HBO, Cinemax, or Showtime
• Your Choice: 1 Year High Speed
ÿ 2 Months FREE your Telecom Value Deal
Internet OR 1 Year Complete
ÿ 2 Months FREE High Speed Internet
Voice Value Deal
ÿ 3 Months FREE –Boost Your Internet Speed
• Digital Camera
ÿ 3 Months FREE—Phone Feature of Your Choice:
Register to WIN!
Caller ID Name/Number; Call Forwarding Busy,
No Answer, or Selective; Last Call Return;
Selective Distinctive Ring; Busy Line Redial
• Kids register to win gift certificates to a local bowling alley
• Bring the whole family
A contract crew, Schraeder Electric, is burying 2”
duct with fiber optics and copper cable to a home in
Harlan. Three miles of fiber optic and copper will be
buried in Harlan this summer.
demands of
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future.
This summer, preparation for Fiber to the Premise
(FTTP) continues to progress into exchanges of the Cooperative. Installation crews are burying ductwork with
fiber optics so as the project proceeds, FMCTC can
bring fiber directly to the member’s home or business.
Your Cooperative is excited about the possibilities
with the FTTP network.
– Continued on page 2
NOW STARRING!TwonewchannelsonFMCTCCableTelevision!LifetimeandLifetimeMovies.Details on Page 4.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions (and answers, of course!) that may be helpful to you.
Q: What do I do? When I pick up my phone to make a call, there is no
dial tone---the line appears to be ‘dead.’ Do I need to contact the FMCTC
office to report this, or does FMCTC automatically know that there is a
problem?
A: You need to contact the FMCTC office to report any problems--or any
change in your phone line. Most often, we do not know that a problem exists
with your phone line unless you contact us. If you notice static, ‘noise,’ or any
other problem with your phone line, please contact us immediately. (627-4247)
High Speed Internet
over a wireless connection. An appointment is set up with
each customer for
completion of installation to the home.
The fixed wireless antenna
is mounted on
the top of the
home.
Cat 5 cable (below) is run inside
the home.
Q: Is there a way I can receive my office or home phone calls on my Verizon or Community Phone? A: Yes. Add Sim (Simultaneous) Ring to your office or home phone line and
then when this number is dialed it will ring your Verizon or Community Phone
simultaneously. To add this calling feature to your business or home phone line,
contact us at 744-3131. SimRing is just $1/month. SimRing is FREE if you have
a Community Phone.
Offices closed
July 4
The FMCTC Harlan and Manilla
offices will be closed on Tuesday,
July 4th in observance of the
Independence Day holiday.
Federal Universal Service
charge reduced
Effective July 1, 2006, the USF (Federal Universal Service Fund) assessment
will be slightly lower on customer’s
bills. The USF will be assessed at
10.5% of any Interstate charges, a decrease from 10.9%.
The USF line charge is assessed on
telephone and DSL Internet services. All
telephone and DSL Internet customers
will see a slight decrease in their bills.
The Universal Service Charge is
not part of your local service rate;
instead, the charge goes to a ‘relief
fund’ that assists with the costs of
providing telephone service in lowincome communities, and for rural
health care providers and schools and
libraries. (799-4258)
The amount of USF on your monthly
bill depends on the services you order
(telephone and DSL Internet) and the
number of telephone lines you have.
The USF line charge is not a Federal
tax; it is a Federal surcharge. Tax-exempt customers are assessed the Universal Service Fund line charge. All
telecommunication service providers
contribute to the support of these universal service programs.
ADD another Community
Phone for just $9.99
Now keeping in touch is easier than
ever! You can add up to 4 additional
Community Phones for only $9.99 per
phone. Each phone gets its own phone
number, 150 local anytime minutes, unlimited m2m calling, 10 free text messages, and pay-as-u-go roaming and long
distance. There’s never a contract and you
get one itemized bill to keep track of all
the calls. Taxes & activation extra. Available on plans starting at $19.99.
IRS Throws in the
Towel on Long
Distance Telephone
Excise Tax
Over 108 years after financing the
Spanish American War, the tax on longdistance phone calls is finally being
repealed. The IRS is finally conceding
that the 3% federal excise tax on long
distance telephone calls (“FET”) has
been improperly applied and will grant
refunds to individuals and businesses for
all such taxes paid on and after March 1,
2003 up through July 31, 2006. You will
be able to file for a refund on your 2006
federal income tax returns. (782-3451)
Consumers, who pay about 40%
of the taxes collected, typically
pay about $18 a year in excise
taxes if they have a long distance service.
Receiving Refunds
According to the Treasury Department in TDNR JS-4287, no immediate action is required by taxpayers as
refunds will be claimed on 2006 tax
returns (or the first tax year that includes
December 31, 2006 for non-calendar
year taxpayers). Interest will be paid on
refunds.
While Treasury has explained that the
required forms to be used for claiming
an FET refund are forthcoming, it has
announced that individuals will be able
to claim a safe harbor amount without
proving actual FET paid. Corporations
and other entities, however, will only be
able to claim actual FET amounts paid
when seeking a refund.
Congressional estimates put the
total amount of FET and interest to be
refunded to taxpayers at $15 billion,
the bulk of which will go to businesses.
In light of this, businesses that have
incurred any significant long distance
phone charges in the last three years
would be well advised to ensure that
records and documentation of such
expenses are preserved, collected, and
organized in advance in order to calculate the benefit for financial statement
purposes or in case any missing records
need to be tracked down from long distance vendors.
Each taxpayer should seek advice
based on the taxpayer’s particular
circumstances from an independent tax
advisor.
Tom Conry and Brian Dotzler prepare
the antenna and unit that houses the electronic equipment. It will be installed on
the outside of the customer’s home.
Busy Summer
– Continued from page 1
Wireless Internet Network in
western Shelby County brings
high speed Internet to new
territories and customers
Believe it or not there are some
people in the Portsmouth, Panama, and
Shelby areas who do not have access to
high-speed Internet connections. They
are served by another telephone company who cannot provide them a high
speed Internet solution.
The past year, FMCTC began testing
a high-speed network to distribute Internet bandwidth over a wireless connection.
“We received many requests for a
high speed Internet service from people
living in the rural-Panama area,” says
Tom Conry, FMCTC General Manager.
“We were already providing high speed
Internet service in the town of Panama
through our cable tv system, using
cable modems. People began to talk and
before long we were receiving requests
from people living outside the town of
Panama. Our solution was to build a
high-speed network over a wireless connection. The network serves a large territory of land, with typically a broadcast
range of 7-10 miles. It is easy to implement, available almost immediately, and
is cost-effective.”
“It has added a valuable service to
the Panama area,” says Conry. “The
requests and our customer numbers
continue to grow. We are expanding
the network and our services into new
territories, now, including the ruralPortsmouth and rural-Shelby areas.”
(766-3283)
This high speed Internet point-tomultipoint wireless network uses a wireless signal from a base station antenna
to a “fixed wireless antenna” mounted
on the outside of every customer’s location. This system requires direct lineof-sight between both the sending and
receiving antennas to establish a good
wireless connection.
The
Communicator
Published monthly by FMCTC
19th St. & Cyclone Ave., Harlan, Iowa 51537
Directors
President................... Paul Nelson
Vice-Pres................... Roger Schmitz
Secretary /
Treasurer............... Ted Chamberlain
Director...................... Kenneth Martin
Director...................... Joel Berndt
Director...................... Eugene Juhl
Director...................... Harold Peters
Director...................... Rex G. Adams
Director...................... Westley Walker
Director...................... James Rasmussen
General Manager................ Tom Conry
Office Manager................... Brenda Fiscus
Harlan Office Hours:
Mon-Fri. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Manilla Office Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8:30a.m. to 2:30p.m.
Harlan Telephone: (712) 744-3131 or
800-469-3511
Fax (712) 744-3100
Manilla Telephone: (712)654-9292
www.fmctc.com
Outages after hours, holidays and weekends
(712) 744-3131
Internet Corner
By Donna Schaben
Clean up your
Computer System
Spyware, adware, and malware are described by the Federal Trade Commission
as “the biggest threat on the Internet today,” How bad is the problem? Wired News
recently reported that spyware, adware, malware issues account for more than 12%
of technical support calls to Dell Computer’s consumer hardware division. The
report also cites a Microsoft claim that 50% of all computer crashes reported by
customers are spyware, adware, or malware related.
Spyware and Adware are taking over personal computers worldwide. 91% of
computers with an Internet connection are now infected—most of the time, without
the knowledge of their owners. Infected mostly are people who download music,
click popups or download software.
WHAT IS IT?
Spyware is unintentionally downloaded software that monitors your computing
activities. It can be used by hackers to steal personal information. Although not as
invasive as spyware, adware gathers information about your activities to generate
targeted online advertising (spam and pop-up ads). Malware is a general term used
to describe viruses, Trojan horses, and other unwanted software that attack your
computer.
Spyware and adware programs will try to infect your computer without your
knowledge. They do so by secretly bundling their programs with free software programs you choose to download from the Internet. This practice is especially prevalent with file-sharing software, common to many music swapping applications.
Distribution of malware through executable files (files with an .EXE extension)
attached to email messages is also common. Say, for example, you receive an email
from a friend with an attachment featuring a dancing bear. Simply by opening the
attachment, you may have just downloaded malware onto your computer.
THe WARNING SIGNS
How can you tell if your computer is infected? Here are some warning signs:
1. Badbrowser. If you browser seems possessed, malware could be at work.
Adware floods your screen with ad pop-ups and your home page unexpectedly
changes. Websites mysteriously appear on your Favorites list.
2. Spam flood. The amount of unsolicited email unexpectedly spikes.
3. Slowgoing. Your computer, whether it’s online or offline, acts strangely and
runs slowly. Your Internet connection slows to a crawl; programs open and close
slowly or randomly with no explanation, the computer’s hard drive grinds when the
computer is idle; strange icons appear in your Windows system tray.
KeeP yOuR COMPuTeR fRee Of SPyWARe,
AdWARe, MAlWARe
1. Thebestmedicine. Be wary when downloading software. The SuraSoft
search engine is particularly helpful because it tells you which software is accompanied by malware. www.surasoft.com/spywaredb
2. The fine print. It’s painful, but read the software’s End User License Agreement. Be wary of phrases like “we may make your information available to third
parties.”
3. UpdateInternetExplorerandWindows.Keep your browser and system software up-to-date by downloading the latest security patches available at
Microsoft’s website. To run Windows Update, open Internet Explorer, go to Tools,
Windows Update. You must be online to do this.
4. Download anti-spyware tools before you have a problem. Ad-Aware and
Spybot, if ran on a regular basis, will help keep spyware off your computer and
help you to recognize which types of programs are spyware.
Ad-Aware(www.lavasoft.de) - A free product that will detect and remove spyware. Run the system scan, select the items that the scan finds, and let the program
remove them from your computer.
Spybot Seach & Destroy (www.safer-networking.org) - A free product that is
a little harder to use than Ad-Aware, but effective in other areas. Run your scan
and allow the program to remove the items considered as spyware. Both Ad-Aware
and Spybot will at times find items that cannot be removed until your computer is
restarted. When prompted, restart you computer. (744-3152)
Updateyour spyware definitions – Within Ad-Aware and Spybot, there is an
option to update your software definitions. Make sure to update both programs and
run them on a regular basis, just like your anti-virus software.
Use some caution with other programs – Additional Anti-Spyware programs
like Hijack This! can be effective, but should only be used by experienced computer users that understand program files structures and registry keys.
Thebottomlineisthatyouneedtoprotectyourcomputerfromspyware
beforeitbecomesamajorproblem.Unlikeavirusthatcandestroyyour
computersystemimmediately,spywareisapestthatslowlyeatsawayatyour
computer’s performance until it eventually causes major problems. Preventativemaintenancewillhelpkeepyourcomputerupandrunningandguard
againstmajorproblemsinthefuture.
Source: Website Compass, Spring 2003
We’re goin’ to the fair
TC
FMC i
Wi-F
T
SPO
Be sure to look us up at our new ‘outdoor’ location at the Shelby County Fair. We’re moving our
booth from inside the Commercial Building to the
‘great outdoors.’ We’re featuring a wireless network
environment or hotspot, so that you can sit leisurely,
enjoy a cool drink of water, and work on our laptops
with full Internet access. (741-5423)
Step Up to a Faster Internet
Fast. Faster. And Insane! FMCTC
offers 5 speeds to match your needs.
Whether you’re surfing your favorite
sites or simply emailing friends, our reliable, faster Internet connections mean
instant access to everything you need.
Best of all, it doesn’t tie up your phone.
And when you bundle it with our
other services, you’ll get our best
Internet rate. Check out our Speed Plus
Value Package, or All-in-One Value
Package for our best rates.
Speed
Monthly Price
128 kbps ________________________________ $ 34.95*
Up to 2X Faster Than Ordinary Dial-Up
384 kbps ________________________________ $ 44.95*
768 kbps ________________________________ $ 54.95*
Up to 14X Faster than Ordinary Dial-Up
1.5 Mbps _______________________________ $ 64.95*
3.0 Mbps ________________________________$79.95*
There are no activation, installation, equipment ‘rental’ or purchase fees. No long
term contract. Call 744-3131 for more information, to schedule your installation, or
to talk with a member of our Internet Support Team.
*Price does not include federal, state, county taxes, Universal Service Fund charge
Internet Terms:
BROADBAND: A high-speed network connection capable of supporting a wide
range of frequencies.
DOWNLOAD: To copy or transfer a file from a remote computer, usually a Web
server, to your computer.
UPLOAD: To copy or transfer a file from your computer to a remote computer,
usually a Web server.
ROUTER: An electronic device that connects two or more networks.
WIRELESS NETWORK: A network that allows devices to communicate using
radio or light transmissions instead of wires.
It Pays To Refer
Hey, FMCTC Internet Customers,
did you know it pays to refer family,
friends, and neighbors to FMCTC High
Speed Internet?
Complete this information, then
pass it along to a family member,
Custo
encour mers are
ag
advant ed to take
money age of this
-saving
offer!
friend or neighbor. When your referral
orders service and presents this certificate to one of our FMCTC offices, your
account will be credited for OneMonth
ofFREEHighSpeedInternetService
(a $34.95 value!)
Clip.and.Return.•.Clip.and.Return
It Pays To Refer A Friend!
I want to refer ________________________________________________
for FMCTC High Speed Internet Service
My name ____________________________________________________
My phone number __________________________________________
Referral form must be returned at time of sign-up.
lifetime and lifetime Movie
Network now available on fMCTV
Meet the new employees
serving you this summer
Summer is a busy time at FMCTC and summertime employees play an important role in completing many of our projects. FMCTC is lucky to have Ross Hastert
(left) and John Graeve as a part of the FMCTC summertime team. They assist with
plowing cable and phone drops, and taking care of FMCTC buildings and grounds.
(747-6424)
John will be a senior at IKM this Fall. He is the son of David and Linda of Defiance.
This Fall, Ross will resume studying and playing football at Northwest Missouri
State in Maryville, MO.
We’ve got it all together.
Now we can get our High Speed
Internet, Cable TV, Wireless and
Long Distance services, plus all
the calling features we want all
in one package, for one price,
and at great value!
INCLUDED FEATURES:
Unlimitedm2m
It’s our mobile-to-mobile feature.
Talk Community Phone to Community
Phone as long as you want while you’re
on the FMCTC network without using
your allowance minutes.
• High Speed Internet (768k)
• Cable TV (52 channels)
• Wireless Community Phone with 400 minutes/month PLUS
UNLIMITED m2m
• 300 minutes Long Distance on your home phone
• Voice Mail (Includes e-mail notification~~sends your voice
mail messages to your email account… you open up the email
and hear the actual voice mail message.)
• Caller ID Name & Number, 3-Way Calling, Call Forwarding,
Call Waiting, Simultaneous Ring, and MORE calling features
• Wireline Protection Plan
91.99
$
Is it time to
rethink your
wireless?
FMCTC Wireless is the perfect plan
if most of your calls are around the local
area. (235-6230)
All-In-One
Telecom Value Deal
Pay just
FMCTV expanded its programming
July 1st with the addition of two new
channels. Cable’s popular Lifetime
network, and it’s sister channel Lifetime
Movie Network are now available on
Channel 50 and Channel 51on FMCTV.
(748-8195)
Lifetime is an American television
network which as its tagline notes is
“Television for Women.” It airs movies
that feature women in lead roles, as well
as sitcoms and dramas that are geared
towards women. Among the most popular shows currently on the channel are
Frasier, The Nanny, The Golden Girls,
Will & Grace and Unsolved Mysteries.
The network also airs original programming such as Strong Medicine, The Division, and I Do, and airs many original
movies targeting women, as well.
Lifetime’s sister network, Lifetime
Pay-As-U-GoRoaming
Traveling? You can roam and use
your Community Phone almost anywhere in the U.S. with our Pay-As-UGo roaming feature. You pay for the
minutes you use, not the ones you don’t.
/month
Buy these services separately and youʼd pay almost $400 more/year.
Call744-3131or654-9292tosignup!
Clip.and.Return.•.Clip.and.Return
Sign Me Up!
All-In-One Value Package
Just $91.99/mo+
High Speed Internet • Cable TV • Long Distance • Community Phone
Voice Mail • Calling Features • Trouble Protection Plan
Name ____________________________________________
Address __________________________________________
City, State, Zip _____________________________________
Home Phone Number _______________________________
Email Address _____________________________________
Return this form and a FMCTC Customer Service Representative will
contact you to confirm details and verify your choices.
+Local telephone service, taxes, surcharges are not included in price.
Limited Service Territory. All-in-One Telecom Value Deal is available to members who reside in the
FMCTC cable television service territory which includes the following towns/areas: Corley, Defiance,
Earling, Hancock, Irwin, Jacksonville, Kirkman, Panama, Tennant, Westphalia, and Cresthaven and
Ridge Road housing developments.
Pay-As-U-Go Long Distance
Stay in touch with family, friends and
business associates almost anywhere in
the U.S. with our Pay-As-U-Go Long
Distance. You pay for the minutes you
use, not the ones you don’t.
Pay-As-U-GoTextMessaging
Fun, easy way to stay in touch. You
get 10 FREE received or sent messages
every month.
CallingFeatures
Caller ID, Simultaneous Ring, Call
Waiting, 3-Way Calling
BUNDLE PLANS
AVAILABLE!
Bundle your
Community Phone in
one of our Telecom
Value Deals and get
a great value.
Movie Network, is a 24-hour, sevenday-a-week, ad-supported channel that
airs contemporary films for and about
women, including made-for-tv movies,
miniseries, and films.
The additional channels are a result
of negotiations with ABC Affiliates in
Omaha, Des Moines and Sioux City
that are owned/managed by Hearst-Argyle. Lifetime Network is jointly owned
by Hearst-Argyle Media Corporation
and ABC, The Walt Disney Company.
FMCTC was mandated to add the
channels, Lifetime and Lifetime Movie
Network, for the rights to carry the ABC
broadcasts.
A new movie
every Saturday night
guaranteed!
Watch outstanding movies on
FMCTC Cable TV during the month of
July, 2006!
Scheduledtoappearon
(Home Box Office)
Must Love Dogs, a romantic comedy with Diane Lane and John Cusack-Premieres July 1
The 40-year Old Virgin, a comedy
with Steve Carell, Catherine Keener
and Paul Rudd – Premiers July 8
Rebound,a comedy with Martin
Lawrence and Wendy Raquel – Premiers July 15
WaroftheWorlds, sci-fi action
with Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and
Miranda Otto — Premiers July 22
Kingdom of Heaven, historical epic
with Orlando Bloom, Eva Green and
Jeremy Irons – Premieres July 29
Scheduledtoappearon
FeverPitch,romantic comedy with
Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon
— Premiers July 1
WeddingCrashers,comedy with
Owen Wilson, Vince Vaghn, Christopher
Walken — Premiers July 8
TheInterpreter,suspense with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn— Premiers
July 15
Serenity, a thriller with Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres and Adam Baldwin—
Premiers July 22
RollBounce, a comedy with Bow
Wow, Mike Epps and Wesley Jonathan—Premiers July 29
Call 744-3131 to get your premiere
movie channel.
FMCTC Cable TV service is available in the
following towns/areas: Corley, Defiance, Earling,
Hancock, Irwin, Jacksonville, Kirkman, Panama,
Tennant, Westphalia, and Cresthaven and Ridge
Road housing developments.
Harlan Tribune Graphics Web Printing