YOUTH ARE THE PRESENT

As telco networks become commoditized through technical evolution, even the most rural independents will face the specter of global competition. That competition will not only come from domestic and international telecom carriers but from entirely different business segments. AOL is now offering voice over IP, while Google is seriously dabbling in video storage and distribution. Companies such as Virgin Mobile already have proved that a well-established brand and a well-executed marketing plan are perhaps more important than the network itself.

However, I believe most independents will successfully shift from a regulatory and technology focus to become market-driven organizations. The question is how will independents get the feedback from customers that they need to help them make the necessary changes to their service? In a word, youth.

It is said that youth are the future, but in today's rapidly changing world, youth are really the present. Youth can play a big role in a telco's evolution to a market-driven organization. I run a Web board written by a 16-year-old and supported by 13-year-olds. A decade ago, the development of such a complex software package would have required a team of highly paid professionals.

The youth are signposts for the future, and their behavior today points to where a telco's service must evolve. Some of the ways independents can incorporate youth into their present include:

• Content creation: Instant messaging, blogging, online gaming — at first glance, these activities don't seem like content creation, but they point to the increasing democratization of content where the flow between producers and consumers will be much more symmetric than in the past.

• Reverse mentoring: A common lament among parents is that their kids know more about computers than they do. Reverse mentoring gets kids involved while educating older folks who can't figure out technology.

• Advisory boards: Why not tap into the ideas of the local youth directly by forming monthly advisory boards? Work with the local schools to help form these boards. Make it a big deal and an honor to serve on such an advisory board.

Telcos also need to tap the young adults in their communities. Chip Arn, an expert on church growth, suggests that a characteristic of a growing church is that 20% of a church council consists of people who have been members for less than one year. Similarly, I would suggest that for an independent to grow, its board should include one or two relatively young members. Young adults provide energy and a new perspective to a telcos' board.

Exploring ways to involve youth in a telco's fabric might be a bit uncomfortable and might mean taking the telco in a new direction on an uncertain path. But in the end, you might just find that the kids are all right.