The Independent Alliances Telecom Group (INDATELgroup, Booth 616), a trade association of carriers, has grown its membership to include nearly half of the United States. New Yorks Independent Optical Network (ION) and Indianas Fiber Network (IFN) are the latest to join. All 23 statewide networks are owned by the independent telephone companies in their respective states.

Carriers can contract with them individually to provide high-quality, cost-effective broadband access into underserved rural areas and metropolitan areas via fiber-optic SONET routes.

INDATEL President Max Huffman said, These are companies that have been in business for generations, and are in the business for the long haul. They touch the major cities but tend to cross the rural landscapes.

These networks provide opportunity for diverse, protected routes, and they often can do it with a cost benefit to customers. The states covered and member companies include:

Arizona ALECA

Georgia US Carrier

Idaho Syringa Networks

Indiana Indiana Fiber Network

Iowa Iowa Network Services

Kentucky East Kentucky Network

Michigan Great Lakes Comnet

Minnesota Aurora

Missouri Missouri Network Alliance

Montana Montana Advanced Information Network

Nebraska Nebraska Independent Telecom Networks

New Mexico New Mexico Networks

New York Independent Optical Network

North Carolina Access/On

North Dakota Dakota Carrier Network

Ohio Independents Fiber Network

Oklahoma Oklahoma Networks

South Carolina PalmettoNet

South Dakota SDN Communications

Tennessee IRIS Networks

Texas Texas Lone Star Networks

Wisconsin Wisconsin Independent Network

Wyoming Advanced Communications Technology