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NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) is a membership association whose mission is to advance communications services to rural America. The association represents nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies in rural and small-town America. NTCA members serve customers in 44 different states. NTCA advocates on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas; provides training and development; publications and industry events; and employee benefit programs for its members.

History
In 1949, the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) loan program was established to make long-term, low interest loans available to rural telephone systems. In response to this, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) created a telephone committee, composed of representatives from emerging joint electric-telephone cooperative organizations. Then, in 1954, that committee decided to form a separate national organization to solely represent telephone cooperatives. That association was incorporated on June 1, 1954 and was the beginning of the NTCA. Since its founding, it has worked with hundreds of telecommunications companies to advocate for services across rural America.

At the end of 1956, NTCA’s membership had grown from the original eight members to 60. That year, the Eisenhower Administration attempted to terminate the REA telephone loan program, but NTCA fought to protect the program. Through their efforts, the program survived and its annual appropriations levels were increased throughout the decade. Over the next few years, NTCA continued to focus on its members and entered into an arrangement with NRECA to make the rural electric insurance and benefit programs available to employees of NTCA-member telephone cooperatives. During the 1960s, NTCA’s membership reached almost 100 rural telephone cooperatives.

Throughout the 1960s, NTCA focused on ensuring the continued availability of adequate REA loan funds to meet the needs of all rural telephone systems. NTCA started developing supplemental sources of financing to meet the needs of its members. In 1966, the association went on record in support of a supplemental bank for rural telephone systems. In 1971, Congress established the Rural Telephone Bank. Throughout the 1970s, NTCA’s membership grew to nearly 300. NTCA members voted in 1970 to allow locally owned and controlled commercial telcos to join the association as non-voting members. NTCA also held its first Legislative Conference in 1971.

Throughout the 1990s, NTCA was very involved in advocacy efforts that led to the 1996 Telecommunications Act, a rewrite of the nation’s communications act. A main goal of the Act was deregulation and increased competition among broadcasting and telecommunications markets. After the Act’s passage, NTCA continued its involvement in advocacy for that legislation and others. NTCA urged the FCC to retain effective competition standards for small cable systems and to support the removal of the telephone/cable TV cross-ownership ban. In 1991, it also supported telephone loan programs. NTCA sought full fiscal year 1992 funding for all programs at levels equal to those approved for fiscal year 1990. This included REA direct loans, REA guaranteed loans and Rural Telephone Bank direct loans.

Over the last few decades, NTCA has advocated on Capitol Hill and at the Federal Communications Commission on a range of issues including universal service, rural infrastructure, cybersecurity, telemedicine, consumer protection and other rural broadband issues.

In 2002, NTCA officially changed its name from National Telephone Cooperative Association to the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association.

In 2013, NTCA and Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO) merged into one organization. The new organization was called NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association. It served 580 NTCA and 372 OPASTCO members.

Programs
Smart Rural Community is a program with the goal of recognizing and developing smart communities in rural America and Canada through broadband and tech applications in the community. They provide educational programming, grant resources and award programs called the Smart Rural Community Showcase Award and Collaboration Challenge.

Gig-Capable Provider certification is a program to provide acknowledgement and certification standards to telecommunications companies that are capable of delivering gigabit broadband speeds to rural communities.

In 1994, NTCA established the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), a nonprofit foundation, whose mission is to sustain and enhance the quality of life in America by advancing an understanding of rural issues. They provide educational information products and programming such as scholarships to rural students, research and educational tours.

Subsidiaries and organizations
Services Management Corporation (SMC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of NTCA who provides insurance and benefits programs to members.

NTCA Rural Broadband PAC is the association’s political action committee and campaign contribution arm. National Telcom Corporation (NTC), also known as Telcom Insurance Group (TIG), only serves NTCA members with property and casualty insurance.

Communications Supply Service Association (CSSA) allows members to purchase telecommunications equipment and technical services at group rates.