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Connected by Fiber Broadband, We Can Achieve More Together

A Smart Rural Community℠ is about connections – neighbors to friends, teachers to students, doctors to patients, new businesses to customers, and communities to the world.

Smart Rural Community providers are local broadband providers that deploy cutting-edge, high-speed, fiber-based networks so people can live rich lives in rural communities. No matter where they are located, Smart Rural Community providers are committed to providing the highest-quality services and supporting the variety of innovations they enable, ensuring local broadband delivers local impact. 
 

SEE OUR NETWORK

 

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Agriculture | Ag Tech 

Siskiyou Telephone (Etna, Calif.) serves northern California's agriculture stewards. These multi-generational farmers and ranchers grow alfalfa, hay and livestock consumed nationally and have been self-sufficient for generations. Even today, some operate without commercial power, and many need more broadband access... READ MORE

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Community Connections | Advocacy 

A reporter at the Fiber Field Day in Missouri, a celebration of all things fiber broadband, asked a few of the speakers to talk about how rare it is for broadband companies that work in the same state to cohost events where grant funding and deployment strategies are discussed.... READ MORE

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Education | Broadband Careers

Wabash Communications CO-OP (Louisville, Ill.) created a program called Broadband in the Classroom (BITC). This hands-on program engages youth (Pre-K through 8th Grade) within its service area. Its goal is to teach students the importance of internet safety and showcase the telecom industry by teaching them the technologies that support broadband and future broadband careers... READ MORE

 

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Rural Health | Telehealth

The power of telehealth benefitted two Rainbow Communications team members, Jackie Petersen, Rainbow's Director of Marketing, and Julie Bergman, Rainbow’s Senior Business Development Specialist... READ MORE

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Small Business | Economic Development

DTC Communications (Alexandria, Tenn.) launched its monthly audio and video podcast, The Local Click, in September 2023 to celebrate the impact of DTC’s world-class broadband solutions on improving the quality of life in the regions it serves. The podcast is distributed across all major podcasting platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube... READ MORE

 


Learn More

 

WHY JOIN?

Are you an NTCA member who provides rural broadband service and actively leads or collaborates on innovative projects to advance the communities you serve? Join the network of Smart Community providers and be a part of the movement that helps put these communities on the map.

Getting started is easy. To qualify as an NTCA Smart Community provider you must meet the following:

  • Be an NTCA member in good-standing
  • Offer 100 Mbps broadband to 50% or more of your service area
  • Have broadband subscription rates of at least 50%
  • Affirm your commitment to the SRC principles and collaborative innovation

 

 

Smart Community providers enjoy:

  • Unique branding ideas and materials to use in marketing and community outreach efforts 
  • Exclusive live and virtual learning events like webinars, panel discussions and breakout sessions
  • Free subscriptions to the bi-monthly Smart Notes e-newsletter
  • Advocacy resources including infographics, white papers and handouts to help tell your story to policymakers
  • Partnership with outside organizations

  • Showcase Award Program 


     


Apply Today


THANK YOU TO THE SRC SPONSORS

Platinum Sponsor

 

  • NCSC

 

Champion Sponsor

  • Calix
  • CoBank
  • JSI
  • NISC
  • NRTC
  • Nokia

 

Contact Us Sponsorships