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Rod Kachulak was Director of Network Technology and Architecture when he retired from MTS Allstream in 2006 with 35 years of service. Rod led the team in Network Services that gave birth to the Broadband Network Plan. The plan’s primary intent was to stimulate a long range network plan that would move MTS from a traditional narrowband telephone company into a modern telecommunications company offering a wide range of services. The two major service outcomes of this plan were MTS TV and a much enhanced high speed Internet capability. Both these services are now major growth areas for MTSAllstream in Manitoba. As the leader of the long range network and technology planning team, Rod and his team produced the $300 million broadband evolution plan in 1999. The plan was one of the largest network initiatives ever proposed in MTS history. The scale of technology and the level of highly skilled technical people to implement such a plan were unprecedented. Rod led his team to develop an exceptional information package that was critical to selling such a daring undertaking. This was at a time when all other Telco’s were significantly reducing their capital programs in networks. The Senior Management Team realized the viability and potential for services and revenues. A task team was then formed to investigate the market potential for current and future broadband services. After several months of investigation, the plan went ahead as the NextGen program. Rod and his team became part of the NextGen team and were a critical part of the development of MTS TV. These initiatives originated from the Broadband Network plan. Rod prepared the original technical plan and sold the Senior Management Team and MTS Board on the merits of this fundamental new direction that led to NextGen and MTS TV. |