Every good blog, or in this case, year-end message, needs a theme. I know this, but if I may show my hand a bit, I have to admit I’ve been struggling to summarize 2024 — our 70th year of service — in only a few words.
We started the year in a full ballroom at RTIME in Tampa, Fla., talking about the implementation of new broadband deployment funding programs and wrapped it with a Policy Talk webinar about the Supreme Court agreeing to review a circuit court decision over the summer that found the Universal Service Fund (USF) to be unconstitutional.
Those two instances alone show why the working title of this message was “Oof” for an hour or two the other night. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to highlight how NTCA and its members stayed ready for whatever came their way all year. Vigilance. Yes, the theme of the year is vigilance. Despite the Fifth Circuit’s unfavorable decision and other challenges that came our way, we stayed on offense all year, ready to advocate for rural America—and, boy, did we!
By now, you know all too well about the judicial challenges to the USF, but any year-end note must first address the major work NTCA and our members did to support and defend the fund this year. We were grateful that the Supreme Court granted NTCA’s request to review the Fifth Circuit’s decision, and the latest update I have is that the justices are likely to hear oral arguments in late March. We expect a decision to come this summer. Our four-part plan, which I detailed earlier this year, is well underway, and our team is hard at work preparing court briefs and engaging on Capitol Hill and at the FCC. We’ve also been working alongside third-party organizations with a vested interest in universal service, and this week, we released a public service announcement video as part of our Broadband Built to Last campaign highlighting all the USF does for rural communities. The spot will run on streaming channels in key states and will be available for members to use in the new year. Please find ways to use this with your local, state and federal policymakers, local leaders and businesses and other potential allies in your community!
NTCA also has continued to advocate on several issues related to the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) implementation, Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF-BLS) buildout obligations, other potential updates to the CAF-BLS and pre-existing A-CAM programs, and setting the stage for debates generally related to the future of USF programs. Our efforts here show that, even as we’re actively defending the USF, we’re not losing sight of the need also to make sure these programs operate as effectively as possible. Especially considering the interplay of such programs with other funding programs like Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD), it should come as no surprise that the USF continues to be our “North Star,” and I’m grateful to the NTCA Board of Directors for identifying this in our newly adopted strategic plan for 2025-2027. We’ll communicate more about the plan in the new year, but I hope you will take solace in that its top priority is promoting and advancing the mission of universal service.
Of course, there are other very important programs that demanded our attention this year as well. At RTIME, we shared a fireside chat in which U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo encouraged small, community-based broadband providers to pursue BEAD program grants, and our team held numerous meetings and submitted filings to help address challenges in the program’s implementation. There are almost certainly some changes ahead for broadband funding programs like BEAD after the recent election. I hope states will retain the ability to use these valuable BEAD funds to reach the unconnected with the best possible connections they can get – although, as I mentioned in our Policy Talk webinar, there’s a greater likelihood that a mix of technologies will be used to achieve these goals. Our Government Affairs team also worked hard to ensure the "Rip and Replace" program was fully funded, which we were excited to see pass both the House of Representatives and Senate recently.
Speaking of the vigilance that drove our work this year, NTCA spent a great portion of 2024 urging the FCC to take specific steps to improve its National Broadband Map, and we advocated for the Supreme Court to overturn a New York law prescribing certain broadband rates. Although we were disappointed that the court opted not to review the New York case, NTCA and its allies will continue to fight for policies that support and sustain broadband access and protect a competitive marketplace that benefits all Americans.
Moreover, to help combat some of the significant threats to your networks, we created resources and bolstered our efforts on cybersecurity, working closely with CyberShare: The Small Broadband Provider ISAC along the way. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly joined us for a webinar, where she talked about our Women in Telecom program and offered advice on how to continue creating a culture that supports more women in leadership positions. We also collaborated with new organizations and continued work with others to offer discounts and assist with workforce and supply chain challenges.
All of these efforts of course are ultimately focused on not just enabling you to build broadband, but to make sure that
rural communities benefit and thrive from this access. The list of fiber-based broadband providers that make up our Smart Communities program continues to grow, and the ideas shared online and at events in 2024 were nothing short of inspiring. Just take a look at the 2024 Showcase Award winners, presented at Fall Conference, to see what I mean. Or watch this video from the Smart Communities in Conversation event last spring, which brought together providers and key Washington, D.C., stakeholders for a robust conversation about initiatives that are spurring digital adoption, economic development and community engagement in rural communities.
Meanwhile, the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), celebrating its 30th year, continues to play an essential role in educating all kinds of audiences and promoting prosperity in rural America. From taking key congressional staffers to rural America to taking young leaders from rural America to Washington, D.C., FRS makes connections that matter for communities. Other incredible efforts this year for FRS included awarding 36 community grants totaling nearly $170,000 and giving out $173,000 in scholarships.
And, when it comes to telling your story in Washington, the NTCA Rural Broadband PAC is a critical tool in the toolkit. The PAC grew the contributions it received by nearly 20 percent and played a major role in many congressional races throughout the year, spurred by its tireless board and some fun new ways we celebrated our PAC contributors. There has never been a more critical time for our PAC so, if you haven’t already, please give us the prior approval required by federal law so that we can share more with you about what the PAC does, how it does it and what it can mean for our industry – especially as we compete with larger players and louder voices for a seat at important tables.
Lastly, I wanted to thank you again for your support for our Asheville, N.C., team following Hurricane Helene. In the face of such devastation, the team worked — and continues to work — to ensure our benefits system remains healthy and our call center is staffed. I’ll never forget watching our members collaborate in the hallways of our Fall Conference hotel on their desire to support their colleagues and our Asheville, N.C., staff in response to the unprecedented storm. It was amazing to see how the care and dedication our benefits staff extend to members and participants each day was reciprocated during this challenging time. And as many employees were dealing with insurance companies related to home damage, I heard several comments about how fortunate we are to have benefit plans that are managed by people and peers, not driven by profits. And watching other NTCA members stepping up to support and restore their fellow rural broadband providers in their post-storm time of need was another reminder of why I love this industry.
I write all of this to say that, even in the face of adversity, NTCA and its members continued to make a difference in the lives of rural Americans and inspired so much good in communities around the country. We stayed vigilant.
We all know 2025 will bring both new and continuing challenges, but given our work together, I can’t help but be excited and optimistic for the new year and all that we have to do. I hope you and your loved ones have a safe and happy holiday season. I’ll see you at RTIME in San Antonio (if I don’t play you in the Rural Rumble esports tournament first!).