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.

Wireless Networks and Preparing for 5G

You may not think much about what happens when you pull out your smartphone to make a call or browse the web, but a lot of work goes into making that connection possible. From building cell towers to bidding on spectrum, the challenges are varied and complicated. On this episode we have Allen Bennion and Jeff Cranney from STRATA Networks to shed some light on the many factors involved with building wireless networks, and what 5G really means for you.

Understanding Internet and Bandwidth

In this episode, we discuss the critical role the internet plays in our lives. The complicated and highly technical nature of the internet can be more than a little confusing. We talk with Brent Simmons and Shelly Ward from STRATA to help us dispel the myths and misconceptions of this important topic. Their experience in technical troubleshooting and network design yield key insights into how we can be more efficient, productive and stay connected with each other.

The Impacts of COVID-19 on Education

In this podcast episode, Tyler Rasmussen (STRATA Networks) talks with local school superintendents, Dr. Rick Woodford from Uintah County and Dave Brotherson from Duchesne County, to discuss the unprecedented educational changes being made in the past week in response to the global Coronavirus pandemic. They also discuss how educators, the food service staff, students, parents and the community are working together to navigate the daily modifications being made to our normal routines.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

STRATA offers relief during Coronavirus Pandemic: http://stratanetworks.com/covid-19-re...
Free WiFi hotspots: http://stratanetworks.com/free-hotspots
Uintah School District: http://uintah.ss12.sharpschool.com/
Duchesne School District: http://www.dcsd.org/
Uintah County Tech Hotline/Chromebook Issues: (435) 781-3111

USDA ReConnect Program

On our first episode, we dive deeper into the recent announcement that STRATA was selected to receive nearly $24 million from the USDA to deliver fiber internet to rural areas of the Uintah Basin. Our guests include Dusty Olsen, owner of Big Run Ranches - one of the locations that will receive fiber as a result of this program - and Jon Bingham from STRATA Networks who answers some of the common questions that have been asked since the announcement was made including how the locations were selected for the application and what it means for the locations that weren’t.