When Windstream decided to accept federal funding under the FCC's CAF-II program, it was clearly not going to be sufficient to expand fiber networks to all underserved rural areas. Instead, the company has been using fixed wireless technology to fill in those gaps.

As THIS STORY in Fierce Wireless points out, Windstream has been using Radwin fixed wireless equipment to cover 9,000 households in Oklahoma and another 200 in Argyle, Iowa, and unincorporated town in the southeast corner of the state. They are apparently planning to use similar fixed wireless technology to reach an additional 34 communities in Iowa with 6,500 households through next year.
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Windstream is offering a 25 Mbps package for $50 a month in those areas, with up to 100 Mbps speeds available at $70 a month. While those speed levels and prices seem very competitive, the line-of-sight nature of fixed wireless will limit reach in some areas. Also, there's no word on whether Windstream plans to retire its copper network in these areas - something that other large carriers have announced that they plan to do.

​CenturyLink has shuttered it's own IPTV service, Prism, that was offered in some of its larger cities. However, to fill their customer's needs for video services, they are apparently ready to partner with other OTT cable providers.
According to THIS ARTICLE at Fierce Cable, CenturyLink will explore options for bundles using "virtual MVPD's" such as Sling Television, Sony Playstation Vue, Fubo, or others. No specifics on when they might begin offering these services or where. 

Some of these vMVPD's have already worked out deals with the National Cable Television Cooperative that allow broadband providers to offer these services, although in most cases the cable company isn't allowed to bundle those services on their bill.

Shawn Stogdill, a Mediacom employee based out of Des Moines, was the overall winner in the 2018 Iowa Cable-Tec Games held March 14th in Marion.

Stogdill took the overall crown despite not winning any of the individual contests. He finished 3rd in drop splicing and Cable Jeopardy but solid overall showings in all the events allowed him to win.

Jesse Cornell of Mediacom (Des Moines) ended up in second place while Phil Metz of Mediacom (Ames) took third.

Stogdill will await word on whether he is invited to participate in the 2018 International Cable-Tec Games this fall. Last year's Iowa winner, Nathan Sidlinger, placed third overall at the international games in Denver.

CLICK HERE for the 2018 Cable-Games scoresheet showing the top three in each event.

The Iowa Heartland Board of Directors has set the training and event schedule for 2018.  

​March 14, 2018
Cable-Tec Games
Kirkwood Training & Outreach Services, Hiawatha

April 4 & 5, 2018
Home Networking Challenges
Ankeny, Hiawatha, and remote sites to be determined

June 6 & 7, 2018
All Things DOCSIS
Ankeny, Hiawatha, and remote sites to be determined

October 3, 2017
Vendor Day & Golf Outing
Kirkwood, Hiawatha and Airport National Golf Course

November 7 &8, 2018
Fiber Optics 1-2-3
Ankeny, Hiawatha, and remote sites to be determined

For more information on these events, including registration links, visit the Events & Trainings page of the website.

Turnout was strong for the Iowa Heartland's final technical training session of the year, "All Things Fiber Optics".

The chapter hosted two sessions of the half day training in Ankeny on November 7th and in Hiawatha on November 8th. Also, over 20 people participated in the training remotely at sites in Cedar Falls and Muscatine on November 7th.

The Iowa Heartland Board will be meeting in January to finalize a schedule for training sessions in 2018. As always, your input is welcome. If you have an idea for a topic you'd like to see addressed at one of our technical training sessions, just drop an email to curtiswdean@iowaheartlandscte.org.

Nathan Sidlinger of Mediacom, the winner of the 2017 Iowa Cable-Tec Games, placed third overall at the International Cable-Tec Games held on Thursday, October 19th in Denver, Colorado.

Consistency was the key to Sidlinger's performance. While he didn't win any single event, he ranked well enough in all of them to earn the overall Bronze medal.

Iowa Heartland Chapter Board members Dave Fyffe, Terry Olsen and Curtis Dean were on hand to cheer on Nate and witness his performance. Nate, you've made the Chapter proud to call you one of our own!

The Iowa Heartland Chapter had another successful Vendor Day and Golf Outing on October 4, 2017.

23 vendors participated in the Vendor Day on the morning of the 7th.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The 2018 edition of the Iowa Heartland Chapter's Cable-Tec Games will be held on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at Kirkwood Community College in Hiawatha.

It's your chance to demonstrate your knowledge of cable technician skills and learn from our great instructors as well as your fellow techs!

Registration materials will be made available as we get closer to the date, but reserve the day now and plan to join us!

Vendors who would like to participate in the Iowa Heartland Chapter's Vendor Day and Golf Outing may now register for a display table on the "Events and Training" page of our website.

Registration for non-vendor golfers will be sent out soon.