Solarus One of 28 Honored

Solarus is one of 28 rural communications firms in North America to be honored with the Smart Rural Community Showcase Award by NTCA —The Rural Broadband Association, which cited Solarus’ advanced communications services and collaboration with local leaders in health care, public safety and education as keys to its success.

At a gathering of more than 1,000 leaders of rural telecommunications providers hosted by NTCA, Solarus was honored with an award for deploying advanced technologies and leveraging those technologies to enable innovation in the areas of economic development and commerce, education, enhanced health care, government services, security and energy use. Solarus’ efforts were judged against those of dozens of other communities nationwide by a panel of experts from the fields of telecommunications, software and technology services, education, health care and economic development.

The Solarus Executive Team is pictured accepting the award from Shirley Bloomfield, President of NTCA. Representing Solarus is (from left to right) Greg Krings, Doug Wenzlaff, Jamey Lysne, Mike Meinel.

“Solarus is a prime example of the power of a broadband connection and a steadfast commitment to growth and prosperity,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield.

The NTCA Smart Rural Community initiative recognizes and celebrates the efforts of rural telecommunications providers and their communities to deliver technologies that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. The goal of the initiative is to foster the development of Smart Rural Communities throughout rural America by recognizing trailblazers and providing resources to assist broadband providers and connected industries.

Dozens of members of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association were invited to the White House Executive Office Building for an event hosted by the White House Rural Council. We are proud to have had two representatives, Doug Wenzlaff and Lisa Stannis, attend the event on behalf of Solarus.

What Makes A Rural Community “Smart”?

Fundamentally, a smart rural community uses broadband networks to enable applications that the community can leverage for innovative economic development and commerce, blue-ribbon education, first-rate health care, cutting-edge government services, robust security and more efficient energy distribution and use.

Broadband facilitates greater interconnection of the community’s resources and can prepare and enable citizens’ participation in the global economy.

A smart rural community relies not only on high-capacity broadband connections, but also on teams of highly motivated and collaborative leaders-the people behind the technology. From manufacturers and application developers to telecommunications providers and, ultimately, the users who adopt and employ broadband-enabled services, it takes a lot of people to create a smart rural community, and encourage its continued development and evolution.

Our smart rural community began with a commitment from the people of Solarus. A commitment to make a better life for our community through technology. We are proud to accept this honor as recognition that our dedication to this goal is making a difference and we thank everyone in our community for their support.