Mark Ellison is the Senior Vice President, Business Affairs and General Counsel to the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), an organization that provides telecommunications services to over 1400 rural electric and telephone companies, CLECs and other affiliates.

Mark joined the Cooperative in 2004 when he was asked to develop an IPTV service for NRTC's rural telco members. Over the next two years, Mark secured IP / MPEG-4 distribution rights from virtually every programmer. He led NRTC into a partnership with global satellite leader SES-Americom for the development of an end-to-end IPTV distribution system. That effort culminated in 2007, as NRTC and SES launched the "IP PRIME" service in several markets, delivering over 250 channels.

While still engaged in NRTC’s IPTV business, Mark now divides his time on other NRTC business lines, including WildBlue – a satellite broadband service; Telispire - a cellular MVNO; and an array of products and services for the electric utility market. He also heads NRTC’s government relations efforts.

Mark has over 25 years experience in telecom law and business, including pioneering roles in the early days of cable with Turner Broadcasting, as general counsel of PrimeStar - the nation's first DBS satellite service, and now in the nascent telco TV business at NRTC. Mark was also general counsel and VP of government affairs for the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association in Washington. While in private practice, Mark successfully prosecuted the first two programming discrimination cases brought at the FCC under the 1992 Cable Act.

Mark is a member of the bars of Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia and is active in the Federal Communications Bar Association and the American Corporate Counsel Association.