PTCI began a project back in the spring of 2012, to bring High-Speed Internet to rural, extended DSL customers. So far, customers who have already been upgraded to three, six, or 12 megabits-per-second speeds are ecstatic.

PTCI mailed a postcard to all customers included in this project, advising them that a PTCI representative will soon call to schedule an upgrade, so check your mailbox. At the completion of this project, PTCI will have successfully upgraded over 900 rural customers to High-Speed Internet.

For many of us, it’s hard to imagine life without cell phones. But for some senior citizens and victims of domestic violence, cell phones are not always affordable. The 911 Cell Phone Bank provides free cell phones to people who need them most.

PTCI is proud to be a partner with the 911 Cell Phone Bank. The Cell Phone Bank was created to provide a source of emergency cell phones and funds to meet the needs of participating law enforcement and affiliated victim services agencies. The 911 Cell Phone Bank has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars and provided thousands of emergency cell phones for victim services organizations nationwide.

PTCI collects discarded cell phones from the community, boxes them up, and ships them to the 911 Cell Phone Bank. The phones are refurbished, cleared of their memory card and tested to ensure they can only make 911 calls. Phones that are deemed unusable are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.  Local law enforcement can request the refurbished phones for seniors or domestic violence victims who can’t otherwise afford cell phones. The 911 Cell Phone Bank will provide monetary compensation to PTCI for each phone received. That compensation is used to fund various programs within the school systems in the PTCI service area.

If you’d like to donate a cell phone, you may bring it in to any PTCI office anytime. By donating your discarded cell phone you are doing more than just providing emergency communications for someone in need. You are also helping to provide funds that support our local schools.

For more information go to http://www.911cellphonebank.org/.

Since wireless phones are mobile, they are not associated with one fixed location or address. While the location of the cell site closest to the 911 caller may provide a general indication of the caller’s location, that information is not usually specific enough for rescue personnel to deliver assistance to a caller quickly.

The FCC has three basic rules that apply to “all wireless licensees, broadband Personal Communications Service (PCS) licensees, and certain Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) licensees.”

1. The FCC’s basic 911 rules require wireless service providers to transmit all 911 calls to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the provider’s service or not.
2. Phase I Enhanced 911 (E911) rules require wireless service providers to deliver the PSAP with the telephone number of the originator of a wireless 911 call and the location of the cell site or base station transmitting the call.  However, a cell site may cover an area as large as 300 to 400 square miles. 
3. Phase II E911 rules require wireless service providers to deliver more precise location information to PSAPs; specifically, the latitude and longitude of the caller. This information must be accurate to within 50 to 150 meters depending upon the type of location technology used.

Texas County has implemented Phase II wireless service.  Beaver and Cimarron counties are in the process of implementing Phase II wireless service.  PTCI is in full compliance with the FCC’s Phase II rules.  These rules require 67% accuracy to within 50 meters and 90% accuracy to within 150 meters. Not all wireless providers currently serving the Oklahoma panhandle can provide your Phase II location information to the emergency response center. In fact, one local wireless provider has filed an exclusion for all of Texas County with the FCC because they are unable to provide Phase II location information to the emergency response center.

Seconds can be crucial in an emergency. Ask your wireless provider about the E911 Phase II location information they are able to provide if you have to use your wireless phone in an emergency.

Chris Purdy, marketing manager at PTCI, left, and JuliAnn Graham, communications specialist at Tri-County Electric, far right, presented a $5000 donation from the cooperatives to Sally Pittman, center, campaign committee chairman for the YMCA.

GUYMON, Okla. (Jan. 10, 2013) – Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (PTCI) and Tri-County Electric Cooperative came together to donate $5,000 to help the Texas County Family YMCA’s annual fundraising campaign.

 The annual support campaign helps fund the YMCA’s scholarship program, which helps low-income families with membership and program fees so they can take advantage of the YMCA’s offerings. The support also helps to keep programs affordable for all members, provides upkeep for the facility and helps with the overall sustainability of the YMCA.

 YMCA CEO Rob Rixon said the center could not serve the community at the level it does without the support of the community.

 “We rely on the generous contributions of the community to enable the YMCA to serve Texas County,” Rixon said. “Every donation makes a difference and is tax-deductible.”

While nearly 87 percent of the YMCA’s operating expenses are funded through membership-related fees, the annual support campaign helps to cover the remaining expenses as well as unexpected ones that may arise.

 The YMCA’s fundraising campaign goal is $75,000. Rixon said any business, community organization or individual interested in supporting the YMCA can contact them by phone at 580-338-5720 or ymembership@ptsi.net for additional information.

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Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc., is dedicated to providing members with safe and reliable electric service at the lowest practical price. Headquartered in Hooker, Okla., Tri-County Electric is a not-for-profit distribution cooperative owned and controlled by its members. The utility serves approximately 23,000 customer accounts in the Oklahoma Panhandle, southwestern Kansas, and the northern border of the Texas Panhandle. Tri-County Electric is a Touchstone Energy cooperative. For more information, visit www.tcec.coop.

Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (PTCI) along with its wholly-owned subsidiary Panhandle Telecommunication Systems, Inc. is headquartered in Guymon, Oklahoma and provides high quality Home, Business and Cellular Telephone service, High Speed Internet service and Digital Television service to customers in the Oklahoma Panhandle area.  For more information, visit www.ptci.net.

For many years, employees of PTCI have brought holiday joy to less fortunate families in our community. This year employees collected $1,300 with a match of $1,000 approved by PTCI Management and the Trustee of PTCI bringing their total to $2,300. PTCI was able to purchase Christmas gifts for 10 children in three families. For the many employees at PTCI this yearly project captures the true spirit of Christmas. To a needy child, the gift of a shiny new toy means that someone cares and that Christmas hasn’t passed them by.

Director of Human Resources Mitzi Dain who heads the project every year said, “PTCI’s employees are a rare group of people. Whether it is an employee in need or a need in the community, they always come through with generous support.”

PTCI and its employees encourage others to take part in The Star Tree, Loaves and Fishes and other worthwhile community projects now and throughout the year.

PTCI provides an array of communication services to customers in the Oklahoma Panhandle area. Services include state-of-the-art Residential and Business Telephone services with many calling features, plus long distance service; High Speed Internet service with help desk; Cellular telephone service with nationwide plans, free mobile-to-mobile and free nights and weekends; Digital Cable TV service with 150+ channels, local networks, high definition including local networks, DVR, and pause live features. PTCI was established in 1954 and is headquartered in Guymon, Oklahoma.

Mitzi Dain presents donation to Gail Parsley while other volunteers look on.

During the month of November, PTCI held a fundraiser among its employees to benefit the Loaves and Fishes food bank in Guymon.  The drive, organized by Mitzi Dain, Director of Human Resources, collected $850.

Loaves and Fishes, located at 310 E. 1^st in Guymon is struggling to feed many families in need. Many days their shelves are empty as they wait for much needed supplies. PTCI employees will continue to donate food and cash to the Loaves and Fishes and encourage others in the community to join them in their effort to fill the shelves. For more information about Loaves and Fishes contact Gail Parsley  at 338-0008.

Chris Purdy, marketing manager at PTCI, left, and Erin Moore, member relations specialist at Tri-County Electric, far right, presented a $500 donation from the cooperatives to Ida Baugh, center, coordinator for Northwest Domestic Crisis Services.

GUYMON, Okla. (Oct. 23, 2012) – This year, people in need of domestic crisis services will have a little extra help from two local cooperatives.

Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. and Tri-County Electric Cooperative joined together to cooperatively contribute $500 to Northwest Domestic Crisis Services’ annual fundraising campaign.

“I think this is wonderful,” Ida Baugh, coordinator for Northwest Domestic Crisis Services, said. “We really do appreciate it.”

October is National Cooperative Month and the United Nations declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives.

“We’re celebrating the cooperative difference,” PTCI Marketing Manager Chris Purdy said. “Concern for Community is the seventh cooperative principle and it’s something both Tri-County Electric and PTCI believe strongly in. Coming together to give to organizations that benefit the community and improve the quality of life for our members furthers our shared mission.”

Northwest Domestic Crisis Services has shelters and services for 10 Oklahoma counties, including Alfalfa, Beaver, Cimarron, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Major, Texas, Woods and Woodward counties, with a variety of services.

“All the money raised in this area stays in this area,” Baugh said. “Funds raised during the 12 Days of Christmas fundraiser are used to support the services we offer to protect victims and their children from domestic violence and sexual assault.”

Businesses or individuals can donate prizes or funds for the 12 Days of Christmas fundraiser by calling 580-338-2780 or going by the organization’s office at 1106 N. Ellison. The shelter is open and phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for those in need of assistance.

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Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc., is dedicated to providing members with safe and reliable electric service at the lowest practical price. Headquartered in Hooker, Okla., Tri-County Electric is a not-for-profit distribution cooperative owned and controlled by its members. The utility serves approximately 23,000 customer accounts in the Oklahoma Panhandle, southwestern Kansas, and the northern border of the Texas Panhandle. Tri-County Electric is a Touchstone Energy cooperative. For more information, visit www.tri-countyelectric.coop.

Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. along with its wholly-owned subsidiary Panhandle Telecommunication Systems, Inc. is headquartered in Guymon, Oklahoma and provides high quality Home, Business and Cellular Telephone service, High Speed Internet service and Digital Television service to customers in the Oklahoma Panhandle area. For more information, visit www.ptci.net.

Year 2012 Unclaimed Capital Credit Distributions Public Notice has been distributed to communities in the Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. service area in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Additional copies can be picked up at any PTCI office in Beaver, Boise City, Guymon or Laverne, Oklahoma. Or Check the List Here.

PTCI is pleased to introduce Shawn Hanson as he joins PTCI’s management team, according to a release from the company. Hanson will be the new CEO upon the retirement of current CEO, Ron Strecker, early next year.

Shawn has worked in the telecommunications industry for 33 years, getting his start at Northwestern Bell in Des Moines, Iowa. Following the breakup of Bell Telephone/AT&T in 1984, Northwestern Bell became part of US WEST. In his 19 years with Northwestern Bell/US WEST, Shawn held a variety of positions in the departments of Network Planning, Federal Regulatory, and Industry Relations. He also served as Vice President of Designed Services, where he managed a staff of over 800 employees.

After his time with US WEST, Mr. Hanson joined a small group of partners to start up Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) which led to his employment with McLeod USA, one of the nation’s largest independent CLECs based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Shawn went from McLeod USA to Nemont Telephone Cooperative headquartered in Scobey, Montana, where he served as CEO and General Manager. Like PTCI, Nemont is a large rural cooperative. Nemont’s 185 employees operate in Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Nemont offers landline, television, high-speed Internet, and cellular services similar to PTCI. Under Mr. Hanson’s leadership, Nemont made significant improvements to its cellular line of business with the addition of 40 new towers and growth of the customer base from 3,000 to 12,000.

In 2009, Shawn joined American Broadband as its General Manager of Operations in Nebraska and Missouri where he stayed until accepting the position at PTCI.

Shawn graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Major in Economics. He carries a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He and wife Nancy raised two sons and one daughter and are expecting their first four grandchildren by early 2013. You read that right. A set of twins and two singles are on the way.

According to Mr. Hanson, “The best model for providing telecommunications services to rural and remote customers is the Cooperative model. It provides the best balance for customer/owners, communities, and employees. PTCI has a stellar reputation for being a progressive organization, and it is an honor to have been selected for this position.”

Please join us in welcoming Shawn and Nancy Hanson to our community and to the PTCI family.

Clay Brooks, a junior at Guymon High School and Ivan Rivera, a junior at Hardesty High School, both recently attended the 18th Annual Foundation for Rural Service Youth Tour in Washington, DC. They were sponsored by PTCI and joined 110 rural high school students from across the country, chosen to represent their communities and phone companies in the nation’s capital. Clay is the son of Brent and Laurie Brooks of Guymon, Oklahoma. His school activities include Student Council, National Honor Society, band, French Club, class officer and AP English. His extracurricular activities include football, track, drum line, and Advanced Wood Technology. His hobbies include long boarding, rock climbing, bike riding, listening to music, hanging with friends, working on cars and flying model planes.

Ivan is the son of Graciela Ayala of Guymon, Oklahoma, and Jorge Rivera of Cactus, Texas. He enjoys basketball, game design, art, animation, video design, and drawing. He lists his talents as being creative with a large imagination and sense of humor. The Youth Tour took place June 2-6, and gave rural youth a firsthand look at the legislative process and the federal agencies that regulate telecommunications. During their stay, students met with the Federal Communications Commission and with the Rural Utility Service within the Department of Agriculture.

The Youth Tour featured several other educational activities, including trips to the Arlington National Cemetery, Smithsonian Museums, U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Cathedral. The program has more that tripled in size since it was first established in 1995. Foundation Manager Tim Owens stated, “The Youth Tour is a wonderful way to cultivate future leaders of rural communities and to expose them to careers in telecommunications. With the role of telecommunications expanding daily, it is important to educate rural youth about our industry.” The Foundation for Rural Service is an affiliate of the National Telephone Cooperative Association. NTCA, in which PTCI is a member, is a nonprofit trade association, representing nearly 500 independent telephone companies across the United States. The Foundation was established by NTCA in 1994 to help to improve the quality of life throughout in rural America.