Pictured are Chris Hopp, Alpine Communications general manager,
and Amy Echard, president of the Clayton County Farm Bureau

Telecommunications Service Provider Celebrated for Technologies Provided to Rural Iowa

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA – April 30, 2013 – Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) says the Clayton County telecommunications provider, Alpine Communications, has played a pivotal role in regional economic development, bringing high-speed Internet and advanced technologies to rural northeast Iowa; it is why the Elkader-based company has been named the IFBF Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur Award winner for May.

Alpine Communications is unique in that it is owned and governed by a collection of independent telecommunication companies joined together after a large service provider pulled out of the rural exchanges.  Since its founding in 1997, Alpine Communications has strived to provide rural Iowa communities access to a robust telecommunications infrastructure to foster economic development.  “Over the years we’ve moved from just being a plain old telephone provider to dial-up Internet service to DSL to broadband services.  We’ve invested in fiber-to-the-home technology to really bring these advanced broadband services to rural residents, businesses, and especially farmers,” said Chris Hopp, general manager of Alpine Communications.

Long renowned in northeast Iowa for delivering the latest technology to rural citizens, Alpine Communications strives to integrate itself into every community they serve.  Alpine and its 18 employees are actively involved in over 60 community organizations and log thousands of volunteer hours each year.  To date, Alpine Communications has granted $100,000 to non-profit organizations.

“Today’s Iowa farmers and rural residents constantly work to improve their communities and quality of life.  Demonstrating commitment to rural northeast Iowa by providing the latest technology services infrastructure, Alpine Communications has facilitated economic development while helping rural Iowa flourish and succeed,” said Sandy Ehrig, IFBF economic development administrator.

Renew Rural Iowa (RRI) is an IFBF initiative supporting new and existing businesses through education, mentoring, and financial resources.  For more information, go to www.renewruraliowa.com.

Listen to the Pocast from WHO’s The Big Show 

WHO The Big Show Alpine Communications Interview Part 1

WHO The Big Show Alpine Communications Interview Part 2

2013 Directory Photo Contest Winning Entry Submitted by Tracy Elsinger, Colesburg

Tracy Elsinger of Colesburg submitted the winning entry in our recent directory cover photo contest. The photo, pictured here, is of the male cardinal he photographed near his bird feeders. Tracy Elsinger’s picture will be featured on the cover of the 2013-2014 Northeast Iowa Regional Directory which will be distributed to Alpine Communications customers in May. He will also receive a $50 Gift Certificate to the Alpine TEC Store.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest. We received many photo entries
from customers all over the service area. Each contestant received a 5×7 copy of their photograph printed at the Alpine Digital Photo Center. View the gallery of photos submitted this year below.

Please complete this questionnaire about your satisfaction, needs, and opinions. We appreciate your participation. The purpose of the study is to find out how we’re doing and get your feedback on potential new offerings.

To say thank you, all respondents will be entered into a drawing with a chance to win a Nexus 7 tablet, a $50 gift certificate to the Alpine TEC store, or a $25 gift certificate to the Alpine TEC store. Your responses in this questionnaire will not impact your chance to win. There is a limit of one questionnaire and entry per account, and one prize winner per account. You must be 18 years or older to qualify. To be eligible, you must submit your completed questionnaire and entry form by March 19th, 2013 at 11:59pm.

Please click the link below to begin the survey.

http://s-a486a8-i.sgizmo.com/s3/i-100245331-387560/?sguid=100245331

Alpine Communications is working with Pivot Group, an independent market research firm, to conduct the survey and analyze the survey results. Your responses will be aggregated with other responses and will be kept confidential.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Alpine Communications at 563-245-4000.

Thank you,

Chris Hopp
COO

You are invited to have some fun with this free contest! Simply make your picks for the upcoming NCAA Men’s Basketball championship tournament games and fill out your bracket. Visit www.alpinemarchmania.com to pre-register.  Some lucky March Mania participants will be winning some great prizes – it could be you!

• Easy to play
• No cost to participate
• Awesome prizes
• Have fun playing against others in your area

Sponsored by Alpine Communications – Powered by Pivot

www.alpinecom.net  – www.askpivot.com

• Mail & Calendar – Thursday, February 21, 2013 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
• Picasa and Photos – Thursday, February 28, 2013 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
• Pinterest – Thursday, March 21, 2013 5:30 – 6:60 p.m. at the Guttenberg Public Library
• Social Media for Beginners – Monday, April 8, 2013 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
• Sites – Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and Thursday, March 14, 2013 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Internet Tablets & Apps for Beginners – Tuesday, March 19, 2013 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Thursday, April 4, 2013 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Navigating FusionTV – Tuesday, April 30, 2013 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

These free workshops are held at the Alpine Communications  Business Office in Elkader, unless otherwise noted. Class size is limited and you can register by calling 245-4000 or register online at http://tinyurl.com/AlpineGoogleSchool

The winning photographer will receive a $50 gift certificate to the Alpine TEC Store. The  winning photograph(s) will be published on the cover of the 2013-2014 Northeast Iowa Regional Directory distributed by Alpine Communications. As a thank you, each person will receive one 5×7 print of one of their entries.

Photo Contest Contest Rules & Eligibility

Requirements
• Entries are open to customers of all ages who are Alpine Communications customers
• Photos must have been shot within Alpine Communications’ serving areas
• Photos must have been shot within the past three years
• Digital photos must be high-resolution, at least 300 dpi, and formatted as a .jpg, .pdf, .bmp, .eps, .tif, .gif. Scanned or hard copy photo entries will not be accepted.
• Relatives of Alpine Communications employees are not eligible to enter

How to Enter
• Send digital photos by the entry deadline of February 15, 2013
• Email photos to alpine@alpinecom.net
• Include name, address, telephone, description of photo, and where the photo was taken
• Limit two entries per household

Contact Sara Hertrampf, Alpine sales and marketing manager, at (563) 245-4000 with questions regarding the Directory Photo Contest.

Enroll Today in Alpine’s Broadband Lifeline Pilot Program

Alpine Communications introduces a new federal assistance program and helping customers save on their monthly Internet service and installation costs if you are a first-time low-income subscriber.

 View the Broadband Lifeline Pilot Program Flyer

Alpine Communications was selected by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to take part in a program as one of 14 projects for the Broadband Lifeline Pilot Program. Alpine is the only rural telephone company in Iowa to receive funding for the project that will test how best to increase adoption of high-speed Internet among low-income Americans by offering discounted Internet service for 12 months to new subscribers.

How Do I Qualify?  Customers who receive assistance from one of the following programs may qualify for the new Broadband Lifeline Pilot Program for high speed Internet service or Lifeline Assistance for their telephone service:

• Medicaid (e.g. Title XIX/Medical, State Supplemental Assistance)
• Food Stamps
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance Section 8
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program (TANF)
• National School Lunch Program (NSL) Free Lunch Program

What Discounts Will I Receive?  Beginning May 1, 2013, eligible customers who subscribe will receive monthly discounts on Alpine high speed Internet for ten months. For example:

• May – July 2013, Save $39.95/month
• August – October 2013, Save $29.95/month
• November – January 2014, Save $19.95/month
• February – April 2014, Save $9.95

What If I Need a Computer? With the help of Connected Nation®, Alpine Communications will provide computer training and help you get a discounted computer for as little as $189.00.

To enroll in the Broadband Lifeline Program, call Alpine today at (563) 245-4000 or visit our office at 923 Humphrey Street, Elkader.

Alpine Communications has been selected by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to take part in a program as one of 14 projects for the Broadband Lifeline Pilot Program. Alpine is the only rural telephone company in Iowa to receive funding for a Lifeline pilot project that will test how best to increase adoption of high-speed Internet among low-income Americans, a group with strikingly low adoption levels. The project will kick off in the first half of 2013 and last 18 months.

Chris Hopp, Alpine general manager said, “Our participation in the FCC’s project demonstrates Alpine’s commitment to the ensuring all of our rural customers, including our low-income families, can connect to high speed Internet. It is our mission to provide opportunities for all customers to succeed in school, work, and improve their quality of life through affordable access to
information.”

According to the FCC, robust, affordable broadband has become essential to access jobs, education and economic opportunity. For example, more than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies today require online job applications. And students with broadband at home have a 7 percent higher graduation rate.

More information about the Broadband Lifeline Pilot Project will be available soon. Call Alpine Communications 245-4000 if you have questions about your eligibility in the program.

Access Recovery Charge FAQs

Q. What is the Access Recovery Charge?
A. The Access Recovery Charge, or ARC, allows incumbent local exchange carriers such as Alpine Communications to recover part of the revenues lost through FCC required reductions to access rates.

Q. What are access rates?
A. When you make a long distance call, your long distance carrier must pay Alpine Communications for starting, or originating, the call. In addition, your long distance carrier must pay the telephone company that provides local service to the person you are calling to complete, or terminate the call. The charges that the long distance provider pays to Alpine to originate the call and the other local exchange company to terminate the call is referred to as access (as in the access the long distance provider must get to the local network).

Q. What reductions to access rates are being made?
A. In an Order released on November 18, 2011, the FCC required local exchange carriers to reduce the rates they charge to long distance companies to complete or terminate long distance calls.

Q. Why did the FCC require reductions in access rates?
A. The current system that is used by long distance companies to compensate local companies for use of the local network was first established in 1984, after the AT&T divestiture, and at a time when there was no competition for local service. Much has changed since 1984 and the FCC decided that this system did not work well when there is competition for local service. In addition, the FCC believes the current system may make it difficult to develop and use new technologies, such as internet protocol networks.

Q. Who will benefit from these changes?
A. The access reductions will reduce the costs for long distance carriers, as one of their largest costs is the payments for access to local networks.

Q. So the long distance carriers are getting reductions in their costs, but my costs are increasing because of the ARC? Why is this fair?
A. The access revenues that local exchange carriers receive from the long distance carriers help offset the cost of providing local service. The FCC recognizes that the local exchange carriers will need another revenue source to offset the revenues lost from these required access reductions. Therefore the FCC is allowing local exchange carriers such as Alpine to recover a portion of the revenues lost from these access reductions through the ARC. The FCC determined that the customer (you) chooses to place a long distance call and the long distance carrier that is used; therefore the customer should bear more of the cost.

Q. But I don’t make many long distance calls. Why should I have to pay?
A. Local exchange companies incur significant costs to provide service to their customers. The access revenues that local exchange companies receive from long distance companies help offset some of those costs to keep the cost of local service affordable. As the costs are associated with local service, the FCC determined that it was appropriate to allow local exchange carriers to recover a portion of the lost access revenues from their customers.

Q. How will the ARC charge be applied?
A. The ARC charge will be generally applied in the same manner as the SLC charge.

Q. How will this charge appear on my bill?
A. The ARC will appear as a separate charge in the telephone section of the bill.

Q. Is this charge optional?
A. No. The ARC is not an optional charge and cannot be adjusted off the bill.

Q. I didn’t ask for this service. How can I get this charge removed from my bill?
A. The ARC charge is associated with your landline telephone service and cannot be removed from your bill.

Q. Can I complain to the state commission about this charge?
A. The FCC authorized local carriers such as Alpine to assess the ARC. The state commission has no authority over this charge so the appropriate body to direct regulatory inquires is the FCC.

Q. Will all customers see an ARC charge?
A. Any customer with a Subscriber Line Charge (SLC) will see an ARC charge. Customers who qualify for Lifeline Assistance will not receive an ARC charge.

Q. Which products or services will the ARC be applied to?
A. If you subscribe to local telephone service, an ARC charge may be applied.

Q. Is the ARC a tax?
A. No, it is not a tax. Tax exempt organizations will also pay the ARC.

Q. How much is the ARC charge?
A. The ARC charge is as follows:

Residential Lines                                          $.50

Single Line Business Lines                           $.50

Multi-Line Business Lines                            $1.00

The ARC may change over time.

A written explanation of all current rate schedules is available without charge from our local business office.  If you have any questions, please contact us at (563) 245-4000.

Alpine Communications has teamed up with The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) and the Rural Iowa Independent Telephone Association (RIITA) to offer three scholarships opportunities to our service areas’ high school seniors.

The FRS college scholarship program awards twenty five scholarships in the amount of $2,500 to winning applicants across the nation. Eligibility requirements and the  application can also be downloaded from FRS Website at  http://www.frs.org/images/documents/2013-frs-scholarship-application.pdf
Completed applications must be returned to our office by February 15, 2013, so that we may complete the Sponsor Certification and forward the applications to FRS.

The RIITA college scholarship program will award one $2,500 to a winning applicant receiving telecommunications services from a RIITA member (Alpine is a RIITA  member) and is from a rural area. Eligibility requirements and the application can also be downloaded from the RIITA Website at http://www.riita.com/Portals/29/Scholarship_Application2013.docx. Completed applications must be returned to our office by March 1, 2013, so that we may sign the application and send it to RIITA.

The netINS Scholarship competition will award up to five $1,000 cash scholarships. Applicants must live within the Alpine service area and be accepted for admission and enrolled in an Iowa college or University. Submissions will be accepted between March 1 and March, 31, 2013. Applicants must write a 300 word essay on”How does broadband connectivity and social media create economic opportunities in rural communities?” Apply today at http://netins.net/scholarships/.

The Alpine Communications scholarship program will award four $500 scholarships to winning applicants, one graduating Senior from Central, Valley, Clayton Ridge, and MFL
MarMac schools. Each school’s Dollars for Scholars program administers the scholarship. Eligibility requirements and the application can be obtained from your guidance  counselor’s office.

Contact Sara Hertrampf at Alpine for more information or assistance with applying for a scholarship.

• SITES - Monday, February 4, 2013 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
• DOCS - Monday 11, 2013 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
• MAIL & CALENDAR - Thursday, February 21, 2013 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
• PICASA - Thursday, February 28, 2013 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Workshops are held at the Alpine Communications Business Office in Elkader and are free to all Alpine Internet customers. Google School workshops last approximately one hour and class sizes are limited. Register today by calling 245-4000 or register online at http://tinyurl.com/AlpineGoogleSchool