By Joan Engebretson
Ron Laudner, CEO of Iowa-based OmniTel Communications, was recently elected chairman of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies, assuming that role at a critical time for small U.S. telcos. With the Federal Communications Commission set to put the process of reforming the Universal Service program in motion next week, I talked to Laudner this week about that and other key issues for OPASTCO members.