Whidbey Telecom Honored with 2024 NTCA Smart Rural Community (SRC) Showcase Award
Whidbey Telecom is proud to announce that it has been honored with the prestigious NTCA Smart Rural Community (SRC) Showcase Award for 2024. This national recognition highlights Whidbey Telecom’s innovative and collaborative efforts within the local community.
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association announced the winners of the 2024 Smart Rural Community Showcase Awards, presented annually to rural broadband providers who not only provide high-quality, reliable connectivity, but who also have led the way on collaborative and innovative projects that advance the communities they serve.
Read the NTCA-Rural Broadband Association official press release here
In partnership with the Fiber Broadband Association, Whidbey Telecom launched the Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program at Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, the first of its kind at the high school level. Graduating with a certification from this course gives students the crucial skills to jumpstart a lucrative career in fiber broadband and helps fill the critical broadband technician workforce gap that exists across North America.
Sno-Isle TECH is a free public school in Everett, Washington that offers technical training for junior and senior high school students. Adding the FBA OpTIC Path™ program to the Electronics Engineering Technology program enables Sno-Isle to provide students hands-on fiber technician training and certification. Graduates not only learn highly sought-after skills in a lucrative, growing technology field, but will also contribute to their local workforce and economy. The Skills Center is a unique setting for this program, as it houses students from 15 school districts in Snohomish and Island Counties.
“We are thrilled that the NTCA has recognized the significant impact this program has on fiber optic education, not just here in the Pacific Northwest, but on a national level,” stated George Henny, Co-CEO of Whidbey Telecom. “At Whidbey Telecom, we are focused on the future of our connected community, and this education path is a great opportunity for our company to give back and for all of us to grow forward.”
“Launching the OpTIC Path™ program at Sno-Isle TECH wasn’t just exciting, it was a collaborative triumph,” stated Gabriel Renville, Whidbey Telecom’s Resource Planning & Development Manager. Renville played a key role in establishing the program, coordinating with Sno-Isle TECH administration and the Fiber Broadband Association, and gathering support from Whidbey Telecom’s vendors. “Graduating students will face the challenges of their local service areas with confidence, thanks to the program’s emphasis on real-world scenarios. It’s a smooth transition from classroom to career.”
Locally owned and operated since 1908, Whidbey Telecom continually strives to enhance connectivity and improve the quality of life in the communities it serves. In 2016, Whidbey Telecom began a multi-year, multi-phase project to bring The BiG GiG® Fiber Network to customers in South Whidbey and Point Roberts.
We believe broadband infrastructure and access to high-speed internet service is critical to residents, businesses, schools, hospitals, and public safety in Island County and beyond. We continue to explore and pursue opportunities for collaboration and cooperation with our vendors, nonprofits, and community partners.
