LTA / LMWA / New Orleans

New Orleans during Mardi Gras is always a busy time. None more so than this year! SDT attends two associations simultaneously. The Louisiana Telecom Association (LTA) and the Louisiana / Mississippi Wireless Association (LMWA) meetings were both held in New Orleans at the same time just blocks away from each other.

The LTA is an association composed of 19 independent telephone companies in the state, 3 Affiliate members, and 105 Associate members. Most independent telephone companies began as family organizations, often including a few friends. The companies had their beginnings in an effort to provide service where none existed, and Louisiana was no exception. One company in Louisiana got its start by running a wire to a remote oil well in the swamp, another came when it was found necessary to keep men on irrigation canals informed when to open and close flumes on rice fields, but most were formed or an area was extended to give telephone service to people where there was no telephone company to give them service.

The mission of the Louisiana Mississippi Wireless Association (LMWA) is to represent a unified voice for the wireless industry in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. We increase general awareness about the wireless industry within our states, educating consumers and the public as to how we serve their needs and add value to our communities. We provide a platform for relationships – both for members of the association and industry – as well as public officials or others looking to build relationships within our doors.