USTelecom

What USTelecom does

USTelecom, formally the United States Telecom Association d/b/a "The Broadband Association," is a private non-profit U.S. trade association founded in 1897 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It represents the broadband industry by serving as the collective policy, research, and public-affairs voice for U.S. telecom carriers and the suppliers that equip them. Its membership spans national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Lumen), a long tail of regional and rural broadband providers (Brightspeed, Fidium, Hawaiian Telcom, Ziply Fiber, and many small telephone cooperatives), and equipment and technology suppliers (Calix, CommScope, Oracle, NTT, iconectiv, and others). The organization is led by President & CEO Jonathan Spalter and chaired by Robert Hunt.

USTelecom's core "products" are policy advocacy, industry research, and convening. It publishes the annual Broadband Pricing Index (documenting the eleventh consecutive year of real price declines and rising speeds in 2026) and the annual Broadband Capex Report (tracking $89.6B in 2024 private broadband investment and $2.2T cumulative infrastructure spend since 1996). It convenes industry events including the American Connectivity Forum and Broadband Investment Forum. Its policy agenda spans permitting reform, copper-to-fiber network modernization, Universal Service Fund defense, cybersecurity (including the successful 2025 reversal of an FCC cyber-certification rule), and reduction of illegal robocalls. In March 2026, it launched the "America's Connected Future" national campaign to update Carrier of Last Resort obligations.

The association generates revenue from membership dues, calculated via an online dues calculator and tiered by member size, with specific fee structures not publicly disclosed. It does not sell technology products, does not have a software platform, and does not disclose financials. With 51–100 employees, USTelecom is best understood as a regulatory and research intermediary whose value is measured in policy outcomes and member alignment rather than commercial revenue.

Name

USTelecom

Legal name

United States Telecom Association d/b/a USTelecom-The Broadband Association

Website

https://ustelecom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

USTelecom is a U.S. broadband industry trade association representing telecom carriers and suppliers through policy advocacy, research publications, and industry events. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., it serves as the collective voice of the broadband sector before federal and state policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Industry Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal & Community Broadband Networks (HDAIACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cable MSOs (Hybrid Fiber-Coax) (MPABAGAA)

Keywords

• Industry trade association
• Broadband policy advocacy
• Telecom regulatory research
• Network infrastructure investment
• Carrier membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

USTelecom is a U.S. broadband industry trade association that represents telecom carriers and suppliers. It provides members with policy advocacy before federal and state regulators, annual research publications (Broadband Pricing Index, Broadband Capex Report), industry events, and resources on issues including broadband deployment, permitting reform, cybersecurity, and the transition from copper to fiber networks.

Product overview

USTelecom (The Broadband Association) is an industry association representing U.S. broadband providers and suppliers. The organization does not offer a unified product platform but instead provides research publications (including the annual Broadband Pricing Index and Broadband Capex Report), organizes industry events (American Connectivity Forum, Broadband Investment Forum), and advocates for policy positions on broadband deployment, permitting reform, cybersecurity, network modernization, and Universal Service Fund reform. Member companies include major carriers, regional providers, and equipment suppliers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• America's Connected Future: A national public education campaign to inform consumers and policymakers about the transition from aging copper telephone networks to modern digital infrastructure.

Products and services

• Broadband Pricing Index (BPI) Annual analysis of U.S. residential broadband pricing and performance, tracking real price trends, speed improvements, and consumer adoption patterns across speed tiers, intended for policymakers, member carriers, suppliers, and the press.
• Broadband Capex Report Annual report tracking capital expenditures in U.S. broadband infrastructure, providing historical investment data and analysis of network modernization trends including fiber deployment, rural expansion, wireless development, and AI-era capacity investments, intended for member companies, policymakers, and industry analysts.
• USTelecom Events Program (American Connectivity Forum, Broadband Investment Forum) Industry events including the American Connectivity Forum and Broadband Investment Forum that bring together broadband executives, federal officials, and policymakers to discuss connectivity challenges and opportunities, available to USTelecom members and invited stakeholders.
• Cybersecurity Policy Advocacy Policy advocacy service in which USTelecom represents the broadband industry in Congressional hearings and FCC discussions on cybersecurity, including testimony on CISA partnerships, critical infrastructure protection, and national cyber strategy.
• Permitting Reform Advocacy Advocacy service to streamline broadband permitting processes, including shot-clock reforms, federal land access modernization, and support for the American Broadband Deployment Act, delivered to USTelecom members.
• Voice Network Modernization Advocacy Policy advocacy service urging the FCC to modernize voice network rules to facilitate the transition to fully IP-based voice networks, identifying regulatory barriers such as outdated interconnection mandates, legacy POTS service mandates, and complex IP interconnection agreements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Broadband prices fell 6.0% in 2025 for the most popular services (100-940 Mbps), extending an 11-year trend
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CTIA - The Wireless Association: U.S. wireless industry trade association that, like USTelecom, advocates for carrier members before federal regulators and on spectrum, cybersecurity and infrastructure issues; often appears alongside USTelecom in joint FCC filings and litigation.
• NCTA - The Internet & Television Association: Trade association representing U.S. broadband and video/cable providers; overlaps USTelecom's membership base and partners on broadband policy, cybersecurity and consumer-protection advocacy.
• NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association: Association for small, rural broadband providers; co-defends USF and rural-deployment policy positions with USTelecom, and several USTelecom regional carrier members are also NTCA members.
• ACA Connects - America's Communications Association: Trade association for independent cable and broadband providers; partnered with USTelecom in filing the petition that led to the FCC's NPRM on state broadband permitting preemption in 2025.
• WISPA - Wireless Internet Service Providers Association: Trade group for fixed-wireless and WISP broadband operators; serves an overlapping rural broadband advocacy mission and competes for some regional carrier dues.
• Fiber Broadband Association: Industry association focused specifically on fiber-to-the-premises deployment; complements USTelecom on the fiber transition story and overlaps suppliers like Calix that are USTelecom members.
• INCOMPAS: Trade association for competitive communications and technology companies, including fiber builders and edge/cloud networks; competes with USTelecom on small-carrier representation but shares general advocacy shape.
• Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA): Association representing telecom equipment manufacturers and suppliers; complements USTelecom's supplier-member pillar and co-engages on standards and supply-chain policy.
• Competitive Carriers Association (CCA): Association for competitive (non-nationwide) mobile carriers; serves an adjacent carrier-advocacy role with focus on spectrum, roaming and USF, conceptually similar to USTelecom for competitive wireless.

Broad incumbents

• GSMA: Global mobile network operator association; broader in geography than USTelecom but is a peer in function - aggregating carrier member voices on policy, spectrum and security at a multilateral level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ustelecom
• Facebookfacebook.com/ustelecom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ustelecom-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about USTelecom