Although there are some in the industry who believe independent telcos exist in a vacuum, free from the harsh realities of the market, carriers of all sizes are facing a dizzying array of challenges. Markets, economies and technologies all are changing at an increasingly frenetic pace.

In The Independent this month, we take a look at several companies and issues impacted by that change. Our cover story is a profile about Nsight Telservices, a Green Bay, Wis.-based company that not only is surviving in the wireless market but also is starting to find some synergies that play well into its other businesses. In interviewing the principals at Nsight, one of the most curious aspects that came up repeatedly was the almost inadvertent way in which one business blends into another. It's not the full-fledged convergence that is being talked about all the time at large carriers, but it's a hint at what the future may hold for independents.

A second profile, on Guadalupe Valley Telecommunications Cooperative, written by Tim McElligott, explores how a telco in Texas has dealt with its changing market. Once considered a sleepy landscape of ranches and rolling hillsides outside of San Antonio, the area has started to explode with growth as former farmland is converted into large tracts of housing. GVTC has grown right with it and now stands in that unique transition phase between rural co-op and suburban telco.

Also, be sure to check out the story on page 30 that explores what is certainly one of the touchiest subjects in the industry — the relationship between vendors and carriers. We don't tackle this subject lightly (after all, vendor advertising is what keeps a roof over our heads), but it's one that deserves further discussion. In visiting various telcos and talking to those responsible for signing checks to vendors, the relationship between the two groups can take on the dynamic of a high school crush, swerving from infatuation to contentment to heartbreak with several stops in a murky gray area between the three.

Finally, I'm happy to report that thanks to strong response from both the vendor and carrier communities, The Independent will appear six times this year. Thank you for your support.