Month: May 2019

Why MTA Is Helping Our Members Cut The Cord

Post author By dev
Post date May 16, 2019

The way we watch TV is changing, and more and more people are ditching cable TV in favor of the increasing number of streaming services available at their fingertips.

This cord-cutting is nothing new, but the trends we’ve seen have been ticking up faster and faster, indicating a major shift:

• Over the last eight years, cord-cutting in the U.S. has increased by 48 percent.
• The number of cord-cutters in the U.S. is expected to reach 55.1 million by 2022
• Just because you’re cutting the cord doesn’t mean you’re watching less: streaming platform Roku found that 80 percent of cord-cutters say they watch the same, if not more, TV than they did before cord-cutting and moving to Roku.

MTA remains proactive in guiding our customers through this shift, helping members figure out the right time to move from cable TV to a streaming service. When that time comes, once we help you cut the cord, we then help you decide which streaming service is right for you (and your wallet).

While it may seem unusual for a telecommunications company to advise members to move on from cable TV, our priority is ensuring our members are as educated and up-to-speed as possible on their viewing options. To do this, we regularly invite MTA and community members to come check out these options themselves at a monthly product showcase.

This month we’re inviting our community to join us at the Menard Sports Center on May 22 for our monthly product showcase or on June 5 for one of two showcases during our 2019 Annual Meeting.

These are part of our monthly DTV Product Showcase series, in which we demonstrate all of the great premium streaming services we offer so that our members can find out exactly which product is right for them and clear up any questions they might have about the transition from cable to streaming television.

The choice of whether to cut the cord or not is up to you, but if you take the plunge, we at MTA are here to help you through every step.

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News & Alerts

“One Ring” Scam Robocalls

Post author By dev
Post date May 3, 2019

SCAMMERS LOOKING TO DEFRAUD CONSUMERS BY PROMPTING EXPENSIVE CALL BACK

Consumers Should Not Call Back Unknown Late-Night Callers Using the ‘222’ West African Country Code

The Federal Communications Commission is alerting consumers to reported waves of “One Ring” or “Wangiri” scam robocalls targeting specific area codes in bursts, often calling multiple times in the middle of the night. These calls are likely trying to prompt consumers to call the number back, often resulting in per minute toll charges similar to a 900 number. Consumers should not call these numbers back.

Recent reports indicate these calls are using the “222” country code of the West African nation of Mauritania. News reports have indicated widespread overnight calling in New York State and Arizona.

Generally, the One Ring scam takes place when a robocaller calls a number and hangs up after a ring or two. They may call repeatedly, hoping the consumer calls back and runs up a toll that is largely paid to the scammer.

Consumer Tips:

– Do not call back numbers you do not recognize, especially those appearing to originate overseas.
– File a complaint with the FCC if you received these calls: fcc.gov/complaints
– If you never make international calls, consider talking to your phone company about blocking outbound international calls to prevent accidental toll calls.
– Check your phone bill for charges you don’t recognize.

Advances in technology allow massive amounts of calls to be made cheaply and easily. In addition, spoofing tools make it easy for scammers to mask their identity. Another key tool is consumer education like this alert and the FCC’s One Ring scam consumer guide: https://t.co/pROJ0ldMXv

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News & Alerts Wholesale

MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC, to Build First All-Terrestrial Fiber Line to Connect Alaska with Contiguous U.S. and Beyond

Post author By dev
Post date May 1, 2019

Visit MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC

MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, is working to ensure the future viability and growth of middle mile transport networks in Alaska

Construction has commenced on the project, which is set for completion by mid-2020

Palmer, Alaska – May 1, 2019 – MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today that it plans to build AlCan ONE (Alaska Canada Overland Network), the first and only all-terrestrial fiber network connecting Alaska to the contiguous United States and beyond.

The new all-terrestrial network will initially have capacity of over 100 terabits per second, which can be expanded and increased in the future as demand grows. The network will establish a secure and reliable fiber connection to any point in the contiguous United States, providing MTA’s members, as well as Alaska, with a robust internet transport connection for decades to come.

“This is a major step for Alaska that will ensure future capacity requirements for MTA members and can support the continuing growth of broadband across the state of Alaska,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA.

Currently, MTA pays significant broadband transport fees to other carriers to facilitate high-speed access for its membership. The new all-terrestrial line will lower transport expenses, provide a secure and reliable route to the contiguous U.S. and provide Alaska with a stable internet transport connection. It is a long-term solution to give MTA and its members access to internet capacity while giving the option to reinvest funds in other parts of the company to better improve technology access.

“This new terrestrial network will ensure the future viability and growth of the internet in Alaska,” said Burke. “Alaska’s leaders have talked about a terrestrial fiber optic path out of the state for more than 20 years. We are pleased to be the ones to be able to make this a reality. This will be a major win for the people who live, play and work in Alaska, supporting business, job growth, and ultimately, the state’s economy.”

MTA Fiber Holdings has secured partnerships with Canadian carriers in order to extend MTA’s existing network from North Pole, Alaska, through Canada and on to any major hub in the United States. Only traffic that both originates and terminates in the United States will be carried over MTA Fiber Holdings’ all-fiber network.

Construction of the new terrestrial fiber line has commenced and will continue throughout 2019, with a goal of being completed by the middle of 2020.

For more information on MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC, please visit www.mtafiber.com.

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Media Contacts
Aaron Blank or Chris Guizlo
The Fearey Group for MTA
MTA@feareygroup.com, (206) 343-1543