Nearly 500 rural providers gathered in Washington, D.C., this week for the NTCA 2026 Legislative and Policy Conference to engage on key policy issues, including the Universal Service Fund (USF), permitting reform, broadband funding and the Farm Bill. As part of the conference, members also heard from leading voices shaping broadband policy, which helped frame the discussions they would carry into their meetings on Capitol Hill.
Of course, a predominant question on everyone’s mind is, “What is happening with universal service?” As the FCC and Congress consider possible updates and reforms, we spent a good deal of our time together discussing what could come next for the USF programs that are vital for the availability and affordability of communications in rural communities.
I was privileged to speak onstage with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Anna Gomez about deployment challenges and the future of the USF distribution and contribution mechanisms, previewing, in part, a proceeding the commission is expected to review at its May meeting to “refresh” the high-cost programs. Chairman Carr also highlighted the agency’s efforts to streamline permitting requirements and pointed to further action ahead, including potential rulemaking to reduce barriers to deployment. He emphasized as well the need to further improve broadband mapping as providers in NTCA’s membership continue to grapple with inaccuracies, something the commission plans to take up at its meeting in a few weeks.
I enjoyed catching up with Commissioner Gomez, who stressed the importance of keeping broadband affordability at the forefront of a comprehensive universal service mission and strengthening programs like Lifeline as broader USF reforms are considered.
NTCA Board Secretary Jennifer Prather, CEO of Totelcom Communications (De Leon, Texas), also spoke with NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth, who outlined ongoing efforts to implement the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program in an efficient manner, including streamlining permitting and expanding categorical exclusions to accelerate project approvals.
Later that morning, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications & Technology, shared his perspective on communications policy priorities in Congress, including reforming the USF through the bipartisan, bicameral USF Working Group. U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service Administrator Karl Elmshaeuser spoke with NTCA Vice President of Government Affairs Leif Oveson about the continued importance of programs like ReConnect in supporting rural deployment, particularly as Congress potentially prepares to consider the Farm Bill this week.
Finally, we welcomed Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) for a conversation with Derek Barr, assistant general manager and chief regulatory and compliance officer of Hardy Telecommunications (Lost River, W.Va.), regarding broadband priorities and her work on USF updates. We were also honored to present Sen. Capito with the 2026 Rural Broadband Champion of the Year award.
Throughout the conference, policymakers pointed to a few common priorities that I’m delighted to say track with the experience of NTCA members in serving deeply rural areas: streamlining permitting, accelerating deployment and sustaining connectivity. Once on Capitol Hill, members engaged with lawmakers and their staff to share real-world experiences about what it takes to build and sustain networks in rural communities. Even on a day when Washington was hosting King Charles III, our members ensured rural broadband remained front and center.
Supporting these advocacy efforts, the NTCA Rural Broadband PAC also celebrated achieving a record number of contributions last year and continues to look for ways to grow in 2026. Relatedly, we were delighted to recognize a true servant leader, Greg Hale, CEO of LTC Connect (Auburn, Ky.), as the 2026 Grassroots Advocate of the Year for all of his work on behalf of community-based providers and the consumers they serve.
Finally, after concluding an incredibly energized conference, we were pleased to announce broadband industry veteran Justin Faulb as our new senior vice president of policy and general counsel, effective May 11. Justin brings deep experience from a decade of work at the FCC and years in the industry, and he will play a key role in advancing our members’ advocacy and policy priorities. We’re excited to welcome him to our team!
The conversations we had and the stories our members shared continue to make a difference. And we will build upon this work in the months ahead to sustain and advance the momentum we achieved this week. As the saying goes, “showing up is half the battle,” but our members recognize that they need to go beyond showing up and see this work through for the communities they serve!