I am writing this blog from the San Antonio airport, reflecting on a busy week at the NTCA 2025 RTIME. Given how few times I actually left the hotel the last few days, I am not sorry to be leaving what appears to be beautiful Texas weather, as the urge to sleep in my own bed far outweighs the warmth and blue sky outside.
The five days at RTIME were a whirlwind of activity, training, networking and a critical time with our members, and, given all that is going on in the industry, the time was well spent.
We kicked off the conference with some opportunities for our executives to spend time getting the latest updates on the fight for the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF). With oral arguments set for March 26 before the Supreme Court and the ongoing discussions on Capitol Hill, short-term and long-term perspectives were shared given what might come out from the court ruling. The room was packed, and it was a meaningful way to start the time together, particularly because the USF is the “North Star” for the industry and certainly for our association.
The NTCA Board of Directors met and covered key updates on our strategic plan, in addition to discussing the role the association should play in diving deeper into artificial intelligence (AI) applications, among numerous other association priorities. That meeting then led right into our Regional Raps, led by the board members themselves, as they shared more about the new strategic plan with their regional attendees. We wrapped the afternoon with the finals of the Rural Rumble. The tournament had more than 60 teams and 200 participants nationwide vying for the championship, and while I am not certain that all 2,300 folks in the room really understood what was happening on the screen as the finals played out in real time, it was a great way to introduce many to the opportunities that esports can provide for rural broadband providers. What a great way to highlight the value of a robust network and certainly introduce yourself to what could be the next generation of your workforce.
Monday saw NTCA Board of Directors Chair Roxie Jorgenson, MTA Board secretary (Palmer, Alaska), kickoff our Opening General Session, which featured key presentations on mapping and much more. Then we marched over to the sold-out Expo Hall. I always love seeing the innovation that our friends in the vendor community bring to showcase to our members. That work facilitates many critical connections for the year ahead.
Next, committees and councils met, our NTCA Rural Broadband PAC gathered, our Foundation for Rural Service conducted business and our SMC Board of Directors spent time together. In our ongoing tradition, we had our Women in Telecom host a full-room, informative session with Kari Coffey, an executive coach, on tips for achieving work/life balance in a way that makes all of us more productive and hopefully happier.
But the real heart of the meeting was the training that our team put together for attendees with two tracks – one for executives and key employees and one for directors – to bring them up to speed on cybersecurity, networks, AI, revenue trends and frankly dozens and dozens of other sessions, roundtables and breakouts on the timeliest topics. And then there is the real business that takes place in the hallways as folks connect, compare notes and find opportunities for future collaboration.
All in all, it was a great meeting, and I always look forward to the next time we can gather as an industry, especially at this point in time when it has never been more important to work together and speak with one voice.