Our 2023 Rural Telecom Industry Meeting & EXPO (RTIME) is in the books, and it was a really exciting time for the industry to gather and share ideas on what happens next in the rural broadband space. The energy in San Diego was contagious and I'm still processing all my takeaways.
Trekking across the country last week was not a small journey, but who doesn't love switching planes and traveling that last leg of a journey on a plane filled with NTCA members so we could get the catching up done sooner rather than later. Having the best trade association team in the country also makes this daunting task so much easier.
The theme of the week was “Make This Moment Count” and I think that was top of mind for everyone, from broadband providers to vendors to consultants to our NTCA team. I feel like we made every moment of those four days count as well. We had board meetings, committee meetings, roundtable discussions, and general session presentations that wowed, as well as discussions with critical policymakers like Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andy Berke and state broadband leaders. We also celebrated Smart Rural Community providers, saw awards and presentations from the NTCA Rural Broadband PAC and the Foundation for Rural Service, the latter of which showed that giving to worthwhile efforts is also a ton of fun as folks did their best Jimmy Buffet imitations poolside.
I always love RTIME, as it is a great opportunity to share what is top of mind for me with NTCA members and pack as much as I can into my allotted 18 minutes! This year was a tad more challenging given that I had dry hotel air, scratch throat, "Shirley talking too much" syndrome, which meant I really croaked for 18 minutes instead of having calm, dulcet tones. Nonetheless, here is my top 10 list of challenges I shared with NTCA members on how to make this moment count and own the narrative of rural broadband as we kicked off!
- Educate the 118th Congress
- Promote sustainability and affordability
- Let's do it right!
- Streamline regulation
- Aim higher for tomorrow's consumers
- Overcome supply chain challenges
- Build a 21st Century Workforce
- Find a partner and tell your story
- Use NTCA's resources
- Showcase your Smart Communities!
I passionately believe that it has gotten crowded in the rural broadband space now that it is cool and sexy with policymakers, the media, and others in the industry. It is time for NTCA members to reclaim that narrative that is rich with history, service, and heart for their rural communities. No one understand the need and the challenges better than NTCA members in terms of what it takes to actually get the job done. After all, these are the same folks who were doing the work before grant money appeared in abundance.
RTIME was also another reason to come together, as NTCA had some pretty major collaboration announcements to make and share with our members. Both collaborations are really exciting and I think they show how our organizational priorities go well beyond advocacy (although that is always Job #1). Our team has also been very excited thinking about what role we can play in solving tangible problems the industry is facing. We hit on two this week with supply chain and workforce collaborations.
Following many months of discussion and information gathering, we are proud that Corning will offer industry-leading cable and connectivity solutions and Northwood Technical College will offer workforce training opportunities exclusively for NTCA members. We hope these new initiatives from Corning and Northwood Tech will help NTCA members make the most of this unique broadband moment for our country.”
Here are a bit more details:
About the NTCA-Corning Rural Broadband Supply Program
Corning Optical Communications is making available an exclusive supply of cable and connectivity solutions specially reserved for NTCA members’ network buildouts. A total of 46.3 million feet in fiber cable purchases will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to members who participate in a pre-enrollment survey in February and March and place final purchase orders through Corning’s selected distributors in April. Purchase orders submitted through eligible distributors will have allocated supply for delivery in 2024.
A full list of eligible Corning products is available in this overview. For purposes of clarification, NTCA has no contractual relationship with Corning or any of the distributors and is not a party to or beneficiary of any of the agreements among Corning, distributors, or any NTCA members placing orders through this program.
About the NTCA-Northwood Technical College Digital Badging
Northwood Technical College (based in northwest Wisconsin) has committed to provide online training that meets the needs of rural Americans. Northwood Tech’s Broadband Academy provides online courses that can be paired with apprentice-type training at NTCA member companies. Participants will enjoy access to Broadband Academy training for Broadband Customer Service Specialist and Broadband Installer credentials.
The NTCA-Northwood Digital Badging program provides incentives for employees to earn recognized industry credentials and offers NTCA members defined categories of skilled workers whose proficiencies can be matched to common sets of standards. This collaboration was initiated in response to the Biden administration’s Talent Pipeline Challenge, a call to action for employers, education and training providers and others to support equitable workforce development in critical infrastructure sectors like broadband. For more information, watch the video shown at RTIME or visit the program's website.
All told, it was a busy week filled with catching up with industry friends, learning more about what our members are doing in the field, and, as usual, eating way too many meeting room goodies along the way.
Next up: Boston for our Fall Conference in September. I simply can’t wait.