Back before divestiture — well before, in fact — America's independent telephone companies were at the financial mercy of Ma Bell. Sparked by the conviction that independent telcos deserved the right and had the ability to stand on their own financial two feet, John Staurulakis left his staff position as director of settlements for the United States Independent Telephone Association in 1962 to address what he considered to be a fundamental need. He struck out on an independent path to prepare rural telephone cooperatives and family-owned companies for a stronger bargaining position in the settlements process — a position he helped to secure. Along the way, he prepared and negotiated the first separations studies ever conducted by independent telcos in Alabama, Georgia, Maine, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.
Establishing a more equitable settlements process in those early years was no easy task. The Bell System was not used to dealing with their independent partners in such a way, and small telcos had little experience in asserting themselves. Consequently, John Staurulakis was often a lone voice for small and rural telcos. But his ideas, conviction, and hard work paid off: A more representative settlements process took root, to the benefit of all independent telcos across the nation.
Today, JSI, the company John Staurulakis founded, serves hundreds of companies in more than 40 states — with the same degree of commitment as demonstrated to his first client company. JSI maintains its position as an unparalleled provider of financial, management, and regulatory services, ready to address any issue that affects the financial viability of telecommunications providers.
Throughout its history, JSI has consistently sought to provide a full array of services to independent telcos. Anticipating the forks in the road that can bewilder less-experienced observers, JSI is proud of its record of responding to industry change. With nearly 100 staff professionals, JSI has the expertise and experience to assist the owners, managers, and boards of directors of traditional telephone companies and cooperatives as well as new entrants to the telecommunications industry … not only in settlements and access, regulatory affairs, and business management, but also in competitive analysis, strategic planning, video and data services, technology assessments and applications, software and education, marketing and communications, and other emerging fields.
To better serve the independent market, JSI has five offices: The Greenbelt, Md.-headquarters, just outside Washington, D.C., brings telecommunications providers within reach of the FCC and Capitol Hill; and regional offices in Atlanta, Ga., Minneapolis, Minn., Austin, Texas, and Salt Lake City, Utah, bring JSI closer to clients, enabling timely response no matter the company location.
JSI has grown dramatically since 1962. Yet, the company remains as firmly dedicated to communications providers as it was the day John Staurulakis first set out to represent the financial interests of small and rural telephone companies. At JSI, the goal remains: to serve as both an advocate for and an advisor to the companies on which all of America depends for essential telecommunications services.
