We recently connected with Skyler Ditchfield and have shared our conversation below.
Skyler , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
As we move towards 2024, the critical challenge of bridging the digital divide continues to persist. This pressing issue represents the approximately 42 million Americans who still lack access to affordable, reliable internet service. Having grown up in a rural California community myself, I have experienced first-hand the disparities that arise when connectivity is lacking. My company, GeoLinks, an enterprise telecommunications company nationally recognized for our cutting-edge Internet and Hosted Voice solutions, has thus been committed to closing this divide and serving underserved communities since inception. Thanks to our innovative ClearFiber™ hybrid network, I am proud to say that we are at the forefront of doing just that.
Sustainably built utilizing custom solar relay stations and wind turbines, GeoLinks’ award-winning technology is uniquely able to reach rural and underserved communities and anchor institutions without requiring a connection to the electric grid, enabling the service to expand to territories where competitors cannot or are unwilling to due to the lack of profits.
By bringing high-speed reliable broadband to these areas, GeoLinks has helped foster digital inclusion and economic development, enabled access to healthcare resources and life-saving disaster prevention and response tools, and enhanced overall quality of life for thousands of residents, municipalities, and businesses.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was always entrepreneurial as a kid. After working many jobs as a teenager, I knew I would only work for myself. I founded my first company in 2000, which was an IT services company, and sold it in 2005. From there I had three other business ventures — a few failures, aka good learning lessons, and one success. Fast forward a couple years later, in 2011, I co-founded GeoLinks after seeing a huge opportunity to disrupt the telecommunications industry by filling in the gaps big providers left behind, while also being in my technology background and interest.
Over the past 11 years, we’ve grown from a small startup to consecutively landing on Inc Magazine’s Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies in America. We’ve acquired over $4B of spectrum assets from Verizon, making us the largest fixed wireless spectrum holder in the USA, and secured more than $300M in government funding for rural broadband expansion. GeoLinks has also become one of the largest winners in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Connect America Phase Fund II auction, a program allocating funds to carriers to deliver service in areas where incumbent price cap carriers didn’t accept CAF Phase II model-based funding, and was awarded the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF).
Headquartered in Southern California, today GeoLinks is a leading telecommunications company nationally recognized for its cutting-edge Internet and Hosted Voice solutions. A big enough operator to be trusted with integral projects, while nimble enough to care, we deliver Enterprise-Grade Internet, Hosted Voice, SD-WAN, Cloud On-ramping, Layer 2 Transport, and both Public and Private Turnkey Network Construction expertly tailored for businesses, communities, and Anchor Institutions nationwide.
GeoLinks’ efforts have also earned multiple innovation and impact-driven accolades for the success and efforts of our ClearFiber™ network.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
One approach that I’ve seen work firsthand within my organization is creating an environment where employee feedback is welcomed. My team does this through the implementation of regular all-hands-on-deck meetings and a “best idea wins” mantra. These strategies keep employees informed and engaged in the company’s mission and goals, while also being encouraged to share their ideas and discuss them openly at meetings.
I live and work by a simple policy: treat everyone as you would like to be treated. It’s the culture I am dedicated to, and I never want to have to act like anyone’s boss. If a person continually puts me in that position, then they need to go.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
To promote positivity and collaboration, we implemented Fred Kaufman’s principles from his book “Conscious Business,” which focuses on both unlimited and dual responsibility. Through the book, we preach taking responsibility and accountability for all actions, acknowledging missteps, and actively promoting solutions and positive outcomes.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.geolinks.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geolinksusa/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/geolinks-usa/