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solution that could beat or compete with
satellite and DirecTV. Brooks sought
excellent picture quality, fast channel
changes, and a smaller set-top box.
Microsoft Mediaroom was the premier
choice, but Microsoft didn’t work with
small companies like RTC.
In 2010, Brooks attended a TV industry
meeting in Minneapolis. While there,
he found a vender who partnered with
Microsoft to bring Mediaroom to smaller
companies. Impressed with this vendor’s
offerings, RTC sent Brooks along with
Vernon Snyder, now Combination Tech,
and Doug Prock, now retired Data Net-
work Tech Coordinator, to Silicon Valley to
work out the details of the collaboration.
“RTC was the first company in the world
to deploy a virtual IPTV configuration, and
this made headlines within the tech indus-
try. Virtualizing servers into larger more
powerful machines reduced the amount of
physical servers RTC needed to deploy for
Mediaroom. Instead of having 70+ serv-
ers, RTC consolidated many of these into
Virtual Machine Hosts, reducing the total
number of physical machines needed to
around 39,” Brooks explains.
It took RTC six years to achieve 100%
IPTV. As towns in our service area got
fiber, they were cut over to IPTV. The
first customer on IPTV was turned up in
White Shield.
Bob Blunck, now Video Tech II, helped
physically connect every piece of equip-
ment needed. Doug Prock and Dan Schilla,
now Network Manager, were responsible
for configuring the new IPTV traffic on
the RTC network fromMediaroom to the
home. Chad Talbott, Data Network Tech
III Coordinator, continues to provide net-
work support while Bob ensures the health
of the Mediaroom servers and that the
content is streaming.
Offering an Amazing TV Experience
Now that RTC provides 100% IPTV in
our service area, what’s in it for you? Well,
a great deal! With IPTV, you can enjoy:
• Enhanced picture and sound quality
• Large variety of channels
• Access to new programming
continually added
• A wireless set-top box for easy,
anywhere installation
• An excellent overall TV experience
at the best price possible
Want to add IPTV to your home
or upgrade your service? Visit
www.rtc.coop/TV for details on
our package lineups and premium
channels.
RTC was the first company in the world to deploy a
virtual IPTV configuration, and this made headlines
within the tech industry.”
— BROOKS GOODALL, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER, RTC
We Fight to BringYou the Best TVValues
RTC recently completed contract negotiations with broadcasters
regarding network fees—the amount we must pay each month per
subscriber for their channels. We fought hard to keep your TV rates as
low as possible. However, current laws are biased in favor of broadcasters
and allow them to demand large fee increases and pull channels from
lineups (known as blackouts) until their demands are met.
Effective March 1, 2018, our TV rates will be:
•
Basic:
$19.95/mo.
•
Preferred:
$69.95/mo.
•
Ultimate:
$86.95/mo.
•
HBO:
$19.95/mo.
•
Cinemax, Starz/Encore, Showtime:
$16.95/mo. each
Network Channels Retransmission Fee:
Increasing from $7.93 to $14.24/mo. (covers the
cost of providing CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX)
Would you like to join RTC in the fight against
unfair increases in retransmission fees?
We encourage you to call the local broadcast
stations to voice your concerns:
KUMV (NBC, FOX, MeTV)
Barry Schumaier at 701-255-8124
KXMD (CBS), KXMA (CW, Laff, Escape)
Bob Romine at 701-223-9197
KMCY (ABC, Xtra, Justice)
Josh Rohrer at 701-241-5338
Thanks for your support of RTC!