Author: czadmin

Citizens Cablevision Launches New Local Weather Channel for
SFN TV Now Customers

New Channel Provides Live Local Radar and Forecasts

Citizens Cablevision, a subsidiary of Citizens Telephone Cooperative (Citizens), is excited to announce the launch of Your Citizens Weather, a new, locally originated weather channel available for customers of SFN TV Now-powered by Citizens. The channel will provide continuous, real-time updates on local weather, including live radar and forecasts sourced from the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, VA.

Your Citizens Weather is now available on SFN TV Now Channel 98, offering an always-on weather feed designed to keep customers informed of current weather conditions in their area. This new channel replaces the previous “Weather on the 8’s” broadcast that aired the local forecast, providing a more dynamic and localized experience.

The popular Weather Channel is still available on SFN TV Now Channel 1142 for those who prefer national weather coverage.

In addition to the new weather channel, Citizens Cablevision offers a local CCTV Channel 20, highlighting community sports and events. The channel features The Ag Show, a popular educational program hosted by Jon Vest, the local Floyd Extension Agent. The show focuses on agricultural issues and topics of interest, offering informative content to local viewers.

Citizens also offers advertising sponsorships for Your Citizens Weather and local programming on Channel 20. Businesses interested in reaching a local audience through these platforms can contact Citizens for more details on sponsorship opportunities.

“We’re committed to providing our customers with more localized and timely content,” said Donna Smith, CEO and General Manager of Citizens. “The launch of Your Citizens Weather is just one of the ways we’re continuing to invest in our community and improve the viewing experience for our customers.”

For more information about Your Citizens Weather or to inquire about advertising opportunities, please visit citizens.coop/tv-advertising/ or contact Citizens directly at 540.745.2111 or 276.637.6485.

About Citizens Cablevision:
Citizens Cablevision is a subsidiary of Citizens Telephone Cooperative, dedicated to delivering high-quality cable television and broadband services to local communities. Through innovative services like SFN TV Now, Citizens Cablevision continues to provide its customers with reliable, community-focused content and customer service.

Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing fiber optic Internet, telephone, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 110 years. Citizens provides symmetrical broadband and hosted phone solutions for businesses, schools, government agencies, and industrial parks throughout Southwest Virginia. Hours of operation are 8 am to 5 pm Monday - Friday; and 9 am to 12 pm on Saturday. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road, Floyd, VA 24091

Who’s Ready to Rumble? Join Citizens in a Nationwide Esports Tournament

Citizens customers have an exciting opportunity to compete in a free online Rocket League esports tournament against teams from across the country for prizes–and we need your help.

We are looking for teams of three people ages 13+ to sign up for the Rural Rumble tournament.

The 3-on-3 Rocket League tournament will test player skills and give you a chance to learn about other exciting esports opportunities in our community and beyond. Elimination rounds will be played on Sunday, February 2; the championship round will be played on Sunday, February 23 and streamed live at a national conference in Texas.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newly-interested player, visit the Rural Rumble website for more information and to sign up to play. It’s free.

Questions? Contact the tournament’s organizer, Josh Seidemann, by email.

Register Here By January 15th

Citizens In The News...

Carroll and Rockbridge counties receive millions in federal internet money

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Community Connect Program is providing $5 million to Citizens Telephone Cooperative to deliver high-speed broadband for 1,838 residents and 22 businesses in Carroll County."

Read More ->

Warner & Kaine Announce Over $9 Million in Federal Funding to Expand Broadband in Carroll and Rockbridge Counties

“High-speed internet allows Virginians to access more educational, health care, and economic opportunities, which is why we’ve worked hard to expand internet access during our time as governors and senators,” said the senators. “We’re glad to see this federal funding headed to Carroll and Rockbridge counties to build broadband infrastructure. We will continue working to ensure families and businesses across the Commonwealth can access the internet.”

The funding is broken down as follows:

  • $5,000,000 for Citizens Telephone Cooperative in Carroll County to build a fiber-to-the-premises system that will benefit 1,838 residents and 22 businesses in the area. Residents will be able to access free internet for at least two years at the Dugspur Community Center.
  • $4,460,000 for BARC Electric Cooperative in Rockbridge County to build a fiber-to-the-premises system that will benefit 816 residents and four businesses in the area. Residents will be able to access free internet for at least two years at the Lake Robertson Recreational Area.

Read More ->

Citizens Telephone Cooperative Marks Another Milestone in 2024

The 2024 Annual Meeting of Citizens Telephone Cooperative was held on Saturday, October 19th, at the Citizens’ office on Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. The meeting, led by President, Joe Italiano and General Manager, Donna Smith, marked another milestone for the Cooperative in completing the six-and-a-half-year construction project to bring fiber-to-the-home to 100% of residents in Floyd County.

President Joe Italiano opened the meeting, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and gave the President’s Report. Secretary, Shelby Quesenberry, read the minutes from the last meeting, and Director, Kevin Hubbard, presented the re-election of Board members Lynwood Allen (Floyd exchange) and Wesley Goff (Locust Grove exchange). President Italiano cited the Cooperative’s progress and commended the leadership and staff of the Cooperative for their commitment to reaching goals and remaining a leader in technology.

With over 120 members in attendance for the meeting, highlights of the Cooperative’s progressive year and milestones were shown through comments from Floyd County Community and Economic Development Director, Lydeana Martin, and a customer testimonial video. Smith summarized the year by stating ”Over the last six and a half years, we have learned so much from our community members. It’s amazing to hear the various uses and needs of the Internet. The Internet is a necessity for learning, working, and entertainment. The Internet is opening doors for entrepreneurs, keeping the youth of our community here while they attend college, and even allowing them to land jobs and remain in Floyd. She continued, “We hosted a Finish Line Party in August for our community to celebrate the end of construction. We are currently working in Ballard, the last area opened to connect. I could not be more pleased with our employees and their accomplishments,” stated Smith, referring to the fiber-to-the-home project. To date, 100% of Floyd County homes and businesses can connect to 1 Gbps Internet by using CitiZip Fiber.

Additionally, with the completion of the fiber build, over 1,800 customers have migrated to the SFN TV Now platform. “This economical TV service solution has allowed us to continue to offer local sports and events on CCTV Channel 20,” stated Smith. “I’m happy to say that customers of all ages tell us they are enjoying the experience.”

Traditions of the annual meeting continued with door prize drawings for members followed by a BBQ lunch. You can view the meeting and testimonial video below.

Testimonial Video

Annual Meeting 2024

Citizens Telephone Cooperative Announces the Launch of SmartBiz

An All-in-One Business Wi-Fi Solution

Citizens Telephone Cooperative (Citizens) announced the launch of SmartBiz, a new purpose-built solution for small businesses. SmartBiz moves beyond connectivity and provides an all-in-one managed Wi-Fi experience. It offers a new way for business owners to drive productivity by managing staff and business systems such as point-of-sale, securing their network, delivering Guest Wi-Fi to customers, and easily managing it all with an app.

“Citizens is always looking to meet the needs of our customers. Small Businesses often need more in a WiFi solution than offered with a residential class service, and commercial grade solutions are not within their budget,” says Lori Saltus, Sales & Marketing Manager at Citizens. “This is where SmartBiz comes in. It offers affordable WiFi features designed to meet the needs of Small Businesses with a convenient-to-use CommandWorx mobile app.”

“SmartBiz was created with our local business owners in mind. They deserve a robust solution that is simple to manage and frees up their time to focus on their business instead of managing their I.T. or networks,” says Donna Smith, General Manager of Citizens. “SmartBiz modernizes any network, saving valuable time and money and allows businesses to prosper with essential connectivity and business-grade features that promote their brand and keep their data and customers safe.”

Features and benefits of SmartBiz include:

  • Seamless wired and wireless Internet coverage throughout the business
  • Business-grade network security for the point-of-sale, staff, and business networks
  • Safe and secure customer Wi-Fi with a branded customer portal
  • Network resiliency with cellular backup capability
  • Self-service management for the business owner with the CommandWorx app

For more information on SmartBiz for Small Business, Press 5 when calling 540.745.2111 or 276.637.6485 to reach Joy Gardner or Elizabeth Dorsett and visit citizens.coop/smartbiz for more information.

Citizens Telephone First to Complete Fiber Build in Southwest VA

Citizens Telephone Cooperative is proud to announce the completion of its county-wide fiber-to-the-home construction project, marking a significant milestone in Southwest Virginia. In August 2024, Citizens will become the first company in the region to offer a 1 Gbps fiber connection to every home in Floyd County. This achievement underscores Citizens' commitment to providing cutting-edge internet services to its community.

Building
Workers 1

To celebrate this accomplishment, Citizens invites the public to join a community event on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd, Virginia. Festivities will kick off at 5 pm with axe throwing and yard games and food trucks offering a variety of meals, snacks, and drinks for purchase. The evening will culminate with live music by local lead singer Jerry Wimmer and The Worx starting at 6 pm.

Established in 1914, Citizens has grown from its roots to become a leader in telecommunications. The completion of this 10-year fiber project, initially launched in 2017 with over a $40 million investment, reflects Citizens' dedication to enhancing broadband access in underserved areas. By leveraging FCC, ACAM, and VATI funding, Citizens accelerated the project timeline, completing it ahead of schedule in six and a half years.

"We are thrilled to bring Gigabit fiber services to every resident of Floyd County," said Donna Smith, CEO & General Manager of Citizens. "This project is a testament to our ongoing commitment to technological advancement and community service."

Citizens was recognized as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider by NTCA in 2018 and has actively participated in state and federal initiatives such as VATI, CARES, and LECAP funding to expand broadband access. The cooperative's fiber project exceeded $40 million. The extensive network spans 715 miles across Floyd County, passing over 10,000 homes. Nearly 4,500 residents and businesses have connected to the 1 Gbps service.

"Our dedication extends beyond technology; it encompasses supporting education and healthcare initiatives in our community," Smith emphasized. "It is important to us that every home has sufficient broadband for their needs. We aim to provide reliable services that empower our customers and communities."

Citizens Local TV Channel Sponsorships Now Available

Subscribers who have television service through Citizens Telephone Cooperative (d.b.a. Citizens) have exclusive access to a local channel, CCTV Channel 20. Through the IPTV platform, SFN TV Now, CCTV Channel 20 is full of locally recorded and produced programming by the Cooperative’s Video Production team and other locally submitted content.

Customers can watch Floyd County High School home games; many of them live, which is great for residents who can’t make it to the school or no longer drive at night. Aside from the live games, Citizens supports the community by rebroadcasting FCHS football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball games each season. You can enjoy all FCHS sports seasons at 7 pm.

You can also watch FCHS academic matches and special events like FCHS Graduation on the local channel. Viewers can see the Local Origination Program on the on-screen guide or check out the guide on the CCTV page. Citizens also posts programming on the Bulletin Board, Channel 23, and the social media for Citizens Telephone Coop.

Floyd’s 4-H Extension Office has partnered with CCTV to produce “The Ag Show with Jon Vest”. The series covers all things agriculture from tree grafting to soil preparation, seed planting, harvesting, and preserving fruits and vegetables. The first episode of a new series called The Ag Show: Seed to Shelf Series will air on April 23, at 6:30 PM. In this first Seed to Shelf episode, Jon will go over how to prepare your seeds and soil for the ideal conditions to get your seeds germinating and plants growing strong throughout the season.

Another series exclusive to CCTV Channel 20 is “Looking Back” with "Floyd County Millers" and features the interviews of Roy Turpin, Gene Vaughn, and Cephas Dalton. This program will air on April 20, at 6:30 PM. In this series, you will learn how water-powered mills were once a vital part of Floyd's economy. To remember this important part of history, Quentin Horn interviews three former millers who share their stories in an era where purchasing flour and cornmeal at the supermarket was far less common.

Subscribers with television service through Citizens Telephone Cooperative (d.b.a. Citizens) have exclusive access to a local channel, CCTV Channel 20. Through the IPTV platform, SFN TV Now, CCTV Channel 20 is full of locally recorded and produced programming by the Cooperative’s Video Production team and other locally submitted content.

Citizens recently announced that Pulaski River Turtle Baseball would be shown on CCTV Channel 20. The Pulaski River Turtles will enter their fourth year of competition in the Appalachian League with new leadership as respected baseball veteran Bill Kinneberg joins the organization as manager for the 2024 season. The appointment marks Kinneberg’s second season in the Appalachian League.

Customers with access to SFN TV Now can watch recorded home games of Pulaski River Turtle Baseball on CCTV, Channel 20. Watch Citizens Facebook and Bulletin Board, Channel 23, for schedule.

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Time to polish up your classic and muscle cars and trucks for the first Cruise-In of the season at Citizens Telephone Cooperative. The event will be held on Saturday, June 8th from 4 pm to 6 pm at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. There is no entry fee and there will be food available for purchase.

The public is invited to join car enthusiasts from all over the New River Valley. Last year there were over 100 different makes and models. “Citizens is happy to offer our parking lot to the public to hold this event. We are all about connections and we enjoy connecting with the community at local events like this,” stated Tina Osborne, Events Coordinator for Citizens.

Citizens plans to open their parking lot for several more this year. The dates set are:

Saturday, June 8th

4 pm to 6 pm

Friday, July 26th

6 pm to 8 pm

Saturday, September 28th

4 pm to 6 pm

For more information, visit www.citizens.coop or call 540.745.2111. Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 110 years. Citizens also offers symmetrical Ethernet and hosted phone service for businesses. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Lobby hours are 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday; and 9 am - 12 pm on Saturday.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CUSTOMERS WITH VOICE SERVICE SERVED BY FIBER OR CABLE MODEM

For many years, your landline telephone would allow you to stay connected to emergency voice services during a power outage. However, if your residential voice telephone service is provided using fiber optics, fixed wireless, or coaxial cable, rather than the traditional twisted pair copper-based line, the residential voice telephone service requires backup battery power to continue functioning during a power outage. To avoid a disruption of home voice service during a power outage, and to maintain the ability to connect to 911 emergency services, Citizens offers an 8-hour power battery backup for purchase for your residential fiber optic or cable modem (VoIP) VOICE service. Citizens will install a backup battery at no additional cost if purchased at the time of service installation. Standard install fees apply if the battery backup unit is purchased after the initial install date. Additional stackable backup batteries can be purchased ($49.95) at any time for self-installation. To place your order to pick up an additional backup battery unit at our office located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd, call 540.745.2111 or 276.637.6485.

You can find more information about the battery backup unit here.

Important Notice Regarding Your
ACP Discount On Your Citizens Internet Service

The FCC recently announced that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) could run out of funds. The projected time is April 2024 (this date is an estimate and may change). As a result, the FCC has started taking steps to wind down the ACP. What this means for you:

  • ACP applications and enrollments/renewals will not be processed after 5:00 pm on February 6, 2024.
  • Households who have applied, been approved, and are receiving the monthly internet discount before February 8, 2024, will continue to receive their ACP monthly benefit until ACP funds run out, as long as the household remains enrolled in the program.
  • After the ACP funds run out (projected April 2024), households participating in the ACP will no longer receive the ACP discounts. This means the discount of up to $30 will be removed from your Citizens Internet bill.

While the projected end date is April 2024, this date could change. There is still a possibility that Congress could decide to increase their funding, or the funds they do have could last longer than expected. NO ACTION IS REQUIRED FROM YOU AT THIS TIME.

As we learn more information from the FCC, we will communicate the changes to you and allow you to change your Internet plan to best suit your budget.

If you have questions, please contact our Discounted Services team by calling 540.745.9583.

Sincerely,
Discounted Services Team

The 2023 Annual Meeting of Citizens Telephone Cooperative was held on Saturday, October 21st, at the Citizens’ office on Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. This was the first meeting led by new General Manager, Donna Smith, following former CEO Greg Sapp’s retirement in 2022.

President Wesley Goff opened the meeting, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and gave the President’s Report. Secretary, Shelby Quesenberry, read the minutes from the last meeting, and Director, Kevin Hubbard, presented the re-election of Board members Joseph Italiano (Alum Ridge exchange), Jonathan Vest (Locust Grove exchange), and Shelby Quesenberry (Willis exchange). President Goff expressed the importance of goals and applauded newly elected General Manager Smith and the staff of the Cooperative for their commitment to reaching goals and remaining a leader in technology.

Joe-Italiano

Joe Italiano

President of the Board

Over 100 members were in attendance for the meeting highlighting the Cooperative’s progressive year and milestones achieved for the company. “The finish line of the Fiber project is in close sight as we currently are working on Ballard, the one remaining area left to complete. I could not be more pleased with our employees and their accomplishments,” stated Smith, referring to the six-year, county-wide fiber optic Internet to the home project.

Other achievements mentioned include the Cooperative has constructed over 150 miles of fiber (over 650 total miles within the county) and installed 1,500 Gigabit Fiber customers since last year’s meeting. To date, 40% of homes (over 4,000 fiber customers) in Floyd County enjoy the increased Internet speeds available with fiber service.

In addition, over 1,600 customers have migrated to the SFN TV Now platform, with only a few remaining homes left to switch once fiber is available to them. “I’m happy to say that customers of all ages tell us that they are enjoying the experience. Just a short time ago, streaming and apps were unknown terms to many of our customers who now have mastered this technology.” continued Smith.

She also noted that the company has added value with Citizens Advanced WiFi which includes the HomePass® app powered by Plume. The adaptive technology allows for seamless connectivity throughout the home and the HomePass® app also allows personal management of your WiFi network at your fingertips to set parental controls, guest networks, and monitoring usage of devices in the home.

Citizens’ Fiber to the Home project recognized Floyd as a Smart Rural Community by the NTCA Broadband Association and Citizens as a Smart Rural Community Provider. Public WiFi access is now available in more places including the Citizens parking lot, at the Floyd Parks & Recreation fields, in and around the vicinity of the Lineberry Park, and the Floyd County High School community use areas including football, track, gymnasiums, and more. “We are happy to provide Free Public WiFi to these locations within our community and to serve Floyd County with 1 Gig Internet,” Smith stated.

Traditions of the annual meeting continued with door prize drawings for members. Prizes awarded were: a 50” Roku TV, Blackstone Tabletop Griddle, 10” Fire Tablet, and two Roku 4K+ Express with voice remote controls. A catered meal by Blue Ridge Diner of Floyd followed the meeting.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be on the third Saturday of October 2024. In an executive session following the meeting, Joe Italiano was elected as Board President. He will be conducting the 2024 Annual Meeting.

The Foundation for Rural Service is excited to announce that applications for 2024 FRS Scholarships and the James L. Bass Legal Scholarship are now open! Go to frs.org/scholarship for the application link and additional instructions.

In 2024, FRS will award over $100,000 in scholarships to students sponsored by our NTCA members. 

FRS 2024 Scholarship Application Flyer

Applications must be submitted by the end of the day on February 16, 2024, eastern time.

Don't forget about the
James L. Bass Legal Scholarship

For the fourth year, FRS is offering the James L. Bass Legal Scholarship. This scholarship honors James Bass, who was pivotal in the creation of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, where he served as one of the organization’s earliest Presidents and for numerous other telecommunication milestones. This scholarship is for students entering their first year of law school and does not require an NTCA member sponsorship. Please share this scholarship opportunity in your communities for future law students and anywhere else you might see fit. Information on the scholarship and a link to the application can be found on our webpage.

In 2024, FRS will award at least one James L. Bass Scholarship in the amount of $5,000.

Applications must be submitted by the end of the day on February 16, 2024, eastern time.

The County of Floyd and Citizens Telephone Cooperative (Citizens) were recently nominated by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference (VAGHC) Innovation in Housing Award. Floyd County and Citizens were recognized for their collaboration on a Countywide Broadband Expansion project.

Each year, one of the conference's highlights is the VAGHC Housing Awards Luncheon, which recognizes innovative, effective efforts that address housing needs. The VAGHC Innovation in Housing Award recognizes innovation in housing that promotes affordable housing options through unique collaboration, advocacy, new technology, and utilization of innovative materials or deployment of a housing type not commonly utilized across Virginia. This collaboration between Citizens and the County of Floyd utilized federal and state-funded grants as well as LECAP (Line Extension Customer Assistance Program) to help offset construction costs of bringing broadband to rural areas of Floyd, Virginia. Accepting on behalf of the County of Floyd were Community and Economic Director, Lydeana Martin, and Chris Bond, CEO for Citizens, at the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference held in Hampton Roads, VA.

Several weeks prior, a film crew visited the Floyd area to learn more from Lydeana Martin, Floyd County Administrator, Donna Smith, CEO & General Manager of Citizens, and residents in the area regarding the beneficial effects of fiber Internet. You can see the full segment on YouTube below:

“This three-phased project will provide broadband access to 1,570 previously unserved homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions through state-funded areas alone, achieving universal broadband access in Floyd. These efforts were complemented by Floyd County and Citizens Telephone Cooperative utilizing the Line Extension Customer Assistance Program (LECAP) to ensure affordability for low- and moderate-income residents. Because of this work, Floyd County will be the first of a handful of rural counties to achieve universal broadband in the Commonwealth.”

“The award is to all of you that have put in many many hours on our fiber project....it is truly a team effort!” stated Donna Smith as she presented the award to the company for their 6-year project.

Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 100 years. Citizens also offers symmetrical Ethernet and hosted phone service for businesses. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Lobby hours are 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday;
9 am - 1 pm on Saturday and 24/7 when calling 540.745.2111.

Sun Outages on Citizens TV Service October 4 – 12 2023

What are Sun Outages?
Twice a year, you may experience some degree of television interference due to “sun outages.” A phenomenon called “solar satellite interference” causes sun outages. These brief outages occur when the sun passes directly behind satellites transmitting cable signals. When the sun aligns with a satellite, solar radiation, energy the sun is emitting, interferes with the satellite’s signal and thus causes a brief signal outage.
This is a very similar effect to the blinding sun you might experience at certain times when driving home in the late afternoons or early mornings.

Even if you don't receive your television services over satellite, SFN TV Now and Citizens IPTV receive much of their channel source signals via satellite. Even the local off-air broadcast stations receive some of their content over satellite.

When do sun outages happen, and how long do they last?
Sun outages occur every year, in Fall and Spring, and last approximately a week each time. The approximate times for signal loss will be between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm and last only a brief time – from seconds up to 15 minutes.

What kind of outage/interference can I expect?
During the sun outage, you may experience a pixelated picture, picture freezes, or audio distortions for a brief period.

How can I tell if it’s caused by a sun outage or something’s wrong with my service?
The sun outage happens only during the day between 11 am and 6 pm (no sun, no interference) and is brief, lasting for a few minutes—from 5 minutes up to 30 minutes.

What should I do during a sun outage?
Citizens Cablevision apologizes for any inconvenience a sun outage may cause. However, solar satellite interference is out of our control. Please be patient, and everything will get back to normal.

If you have questions about sun outages, please call us at 540.745.2111 or 276.637.6485 and press 1 for 24/7 support

Floyd 540-745-2111 Ft. Chiswell 276-637-6485 Toll Free 1-800-941-0426 Support 1-800-741-9525