1. Small Rural Providers
NTCA’s membership is made up of about 850 independent telecommunications and broadband providers.
Small telcos like those in NTCA members serve rural customers in 46 states, delivering services to approximately 35% of the nation’s landmass. Not Frontier, Windstream, Consolidated – much smaller.
NTCA member companies’ average customer density is less than seven subscribers per square mile.

2. Technology Transitions in Rural America
All Offering Broadband, But Not All Broadband is Equal
Platforms – 41% FTTP; 45% DSL; 12% Cable; 1% Fixed Wireless
Speeds – 67% >25 Mpbs; 20% >10 Mbps; 10% >4Mbps
“Middle Mile”/Transit/Peering Challenges
Average 68 miles from Tier 1 ISP connections
Approx. 30 states with state networks
Access to Capital Issue, Business Case Issue, Bit of Both?
Challenge of 3 D’s is a Catch 22

4. How Do Rural Networks Get Built? ($)
USF – key to business case; does NOT finance networks
Reasonably comparable services and rates
CAF Phases 1 & 2, CAF-BLS/HCLS, Mobility 1 and 2, etc. [$4.5B ann.]
Rural Utilities Service – banker for many rural BB projects
Finances networks (like other banks), but does not subsidize rates
Broadband Loan, Telecom Infrastructure, Community Connect, etc.
“Infrastructure Package”
Omnibus “Down Payment” - $600M for loans/grants
Other plans? Not just funding; permitting/tax incentives too . . .

5. Interconnection Issues
Voice
TDM – straightforward (other than call completion), declining
IP – lack of rules/structure a help or hinderance?
Network Compensation & “Network Edges” – distance challenges
Data/Broadband
Netflix & other disputes
2015 Wheeler Open Internet Rules
2018 Pai Internet Freedom Rules
Prospect of legislation?

6. Nationwide Number Portability
Largely driven by small mobile operators
Counter to capabilities offered on nationwide networks
Cost/Interconnection Issues
Who does dips (and bears costs for that)?
Who routes calls to where (and bears costs for that)?
New architectures (gateways, more transit, etc.)?
New governance needed?

7. Spectrum Increasing Concentration CBRS 5G
700 MHz secondary market activity – one-direction
600 MHz
Partitioning?
CBRS
Use cases
License sizes 5G
Small cells in rural markets = FTTH?