About Western Telecommunications Alliance
The Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) represents more than 250 small, rural telecommunications carriers providing voice, video and data services in the 24 states west of the Mississippi River. WTA’s members serve some of the most rural and hard-to-serve communities in the country and are the providers of last resort to these communities. Practically all WTA member companies provide high-quality voice, broadband, and video services in high-cost areas. Most members serve fewer than 3000 customers, with fewer than 500 customers per exchange.
WTA unites the rural telecommunications industry in the western states to advocate the interests of its member companies and their customers in Washington, D.C. WTA is committed to creating a future where rural telecommunications carriers have a regulatory and legislative environment that enables them to provide affordable advanced communications services to their customers.
Whether it’s the rural plains of the Midwest, the tundra of Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, or Native American lands, WTA member companies have the experience and desire to ensure that Americans living in sparsely populated and hard-to-serve areas enjoy the same telecommunications services as those living in America’s suburbs and cities.
Mission Statement
Western Telecommunications Alliance is a member-driven association strengthening the ability of its members to provide affordable, advanced broadband and communications services in rural America through advocacy and education.
Guiding Principles
» Customers – Service and Satisfaction
» Communities – Rural Economic Development
» Members – Involvement
» Leaders – Accountability
Goals
Advocacy and Government Affairs:
Maintain a highly effective government relations program to protect and advance the interests of Members.
Member Service and Growth
Provide expertise, forums, programs and services to support Members.
Communications and Industry Image
Communicate consistent messages about the industry and its role in rural development.
Education and Conferences
Be recognized for offering quality education, conferences, best practices and access to expertise.
WTA Leadership and Structure
Govern, manage and maintain a highly effective and nationally respected association.
What Sets Us Apart?
Providing telecommunications services throughout all rural areas of this country is challenging and costly. Yet, the West poses a slightly different and unique set of challenges for providing service due to the region’s history, diverse landscape, and extremely sparse population density.
WTA is a member-driven association that encourages its members to tackle critical issues together by providing a forum for problem identification, discussion and resolution. WTA promotes industry collaboration and unity as the preferred method to solving the problems its members face. Being member-driven, while WTA staff facilitate the exchange of industry information and provide group and individual member assistance, its members drive the agenda and make the key decisions for the association. Every member of WTA is important and has a voice. WTA exists to serve its members and their input and involvement is important to the Association.
Public policy advocacy is a priority at WTA. WTA works to ensure that the voices of rural telecommunications carriers west of the Mississippi River are given a hearing in the U.S. Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, and other federal agencies.
WTA provides unique opportunities for industry interaction at its bi-annual meetings. These events feature expert industry speakers, seminars, workshops and exhibitions. These meetings also provide an important forum for telecommunications industry suppliers to conduct business and network with industry colleagues.
WTA communicates timely Association and industry news to its membership through emails, its e-newsletter and website.
Almost all of WTA’s members are, were or will be USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) borrowers. The close relationship between WTA’s members and RUS goes back decades and WTA prides itself on its commitment to fostering this collaborative relationship at our conventions and other events.