The Behind the Connection Podcast

Partnering for IT Education in the Basin

In this episode of Behind the Connection, the STRATA partnership with USU and UBTech is discussed. Our host Tyler Rasmussen (STRATA Networks) visits with Kirk Bostick (Spectra), Bob Peterson (USU-Uintah Basin), and Mark Dockins (UBTech) to talk about information technology in the Uintah Basin. Including the demand for more technology-based education and why STRATA has pledged $140,000 to help fund operational costs and offer scholarships to students enrolled in the schools. Listen as they share their perspectives on how they are helping to create a technology-driven workforce in the Uintah Basin.

Voting in This Year’s Board of Directors Election - the who, what, when and how.

STRATA Networks is a Cooperative owned by its members and governed by a Board of Directors. Each year, the members of the Cooperative get to place their votes on the director positions that are up for reelection but this year, the voting process will look different for Cooperative members. In this episode, we talk about what the new voting process will look like and why the change is taking place. We’re joined by STRATA employees, Jason McKee and Stephanie Arnold, and together, we talk about what it means to be part of a Cooperative, why it’s important to be involved, and what you can expect with this year’s election.

The Evolution of Television Technology

In this episode, the evolution of STRATA’s television service is discussed. Tyler Rasmussen, Todd Massey, and Beau Hancock from STRATA Networks talk about a variety of intricate topics, including the complexities of content negotiations, regulatory compliance issues, fiber distribution,  changing technology mediums, and the new StrataTV service. Also, find out why it is such a struggle to keep television service costs down for you, the consumer. A lot of complex work goes into providing a television service, and it’s not at all what you might think!

2020 Broadband Improvements

In this special episode, Tyler, Dave, and Jon from STRATA give a year-end recap of broadband projects for 2020, including 1600 additional fiber locations that were built in the Uintah Basin, a grant from USDA to help fund fiber infrastructure to an additional 3,000 remote locations, and the completion of an extensive fiber project to connect schools and health clinics in Daggett County. They also announce the first two neighborhood zones from connect.stratanetworks.com that will be prioritized in their fiber construction plans for 2021.

The Increasing Importance of Cybersecurity

By now we are all familiar with the best practices for keeping ourselves physically safe and clean during the global COVID-19 pandemic, but how do we maintain good “cyber-hygiene” in this time of increased online activity? Kirk Bostick from Spectra and Tyler Labrum from STRATA Networks are experts in the field of cybersecurity and share actionable tips on how you stay safe on the internet. For more information, click here [https://stratanetworks.com/support/internet-support/cybersecurity].