ACA Connects

What ACA Connects does

ACA Connects, legally America's Communications Association, is a Pennsylvania-incorporated non-profit trade association founded in 1993 and headquartered in Beaver, Pennsylvania. The organization represents approximately 500 small and medium-sized independent companies that provide high-speed internet, video, phone, and mobile services, with member operations spanning all 50 states and collectively serving roughly 29.5 million households. ACA Connects' core function is high-impact federal legislative and regulatory advocacy on behalf of these independent operators before the FCC, Congress, and partner agencies, focused on issues including BEAD program implementation, FCC permitting reform, bulk billing arrangements, video marketplace policy, and broadband data collection compliance.

The association operates a portfolio of member services rather than a single technology product. Its core offerings include regulatory advocacy, member advisories and compliance resources, a weekly-updated BEAD State/Territory Implementation Tracker, on-demand educational webinars, the all-digital ICN magazine, the ACACommunities video series, grassroots advocacy toolkits, the ACA PAC, and annual flagship events — Summit in Washington D.C. and The Independent Show, co-hosted with NCTC at venues such as Walt Disney World (2026). It also coordinates external coalitions such as the Bulk Broadband Alliance (launched July 2024) and partners with EducationSuperHighway on the K-12 Bridge to Broadband Program.

ACA Connects is funded primarily through membership dues. The Associate Member Partner (AMP) program for vendor partners operates on annual subscription pricing across four tiers: Platinum ($15,000), Gold ($10,000), Silver ($5,000), and Bronze ($2,000). The organization is governed by a member board, operates with a lean staff (1–10 employees per firmographic data), and is led by President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer (joined 2022, ex-U.S. Cellular, TDS) and Executive Vice President & COO Jack Latzer (joined 2025, ex-NCTI). No external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries are reported, consistent with its non-profit status.

Name

ACA Connects

Legal name

America's Communications Association

Website

https://acaconnects.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACA Connects (America's Communications Association) is a non-profit trade association representing roughly 500 small and medium-sized independent broadband, video, and communications providers across all 50 states, delivering federal advocacy, regulatory compliance resources, and member services to operators serving 29.5 million households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ACA Connects (America's Communications Association) is a non-profit trade association that delivers high-impact federal legislative and regulatory advocacy, education, and member services for approximately 500 small and medium-sized independent broadband, video, and communications providers serving 29.5 million households across all 50 states. Core offerings include advocacy before the FCC and Congress, compliance resources such as the BEAD Implementation Tracker and Broadband Data Collection tools, educational webinars, the ICN digital magazine, the ACACommunities video series, and annual events including the Summit fly-in and The Independent Show.

Product overview

ACA Connects (America's Communications Association) is a trade organization providing advocacy, education, and member services for approximately 500 independent broadband, video, and communications providers serving 29.5 million households. The organization offers a portfolio of member services including federal legislative and regulatory advocacy before the FCC and Congress, educational webinars, compliance resources such as the BEAD Implementation Tracker and Broadband Data Collection resources, the ICN digital magazine publication, the ACACommunities video series, and annual events including Summit and The Independent Show. ACA Connects also coordinates the Bulk Broadband Alliance coalition to advocate for bulk billing arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACA Connects Advocacy Services High-impact federal legislative and regulatory advocacy for independent broadband, video and communications providers before the FCC and U.S. Congress. Designed for the association's ~500 member companies.
• BEAD State/Territory Implementation Tracker Weekly updated clearinghouse tracking state and territory broadband implementation progress under the BEAD program. Provides members with compliance and funding visibility.
• Broadband Data Collection Resources Compliance and reporting resources for FCC broadband data collection requirements, helping independent providers meet federal reporting obligations.
• On-Demand Webinars Expert-led educational sessions on regulatory updates and industry topics available on-demand for ACA Connects members, including the monthly 'Updates from Washington, D.C.' webinar series.
• Independent Communications News (ICN) All-digital magazine with curated content for ACA Connects Members, including articles from ACA Connects Leaders, member stories, and associate member insights.
• ACACommunities Video Series Video series spotlighting ACA Connects member achievements, showcasing broadband operations, success stories, and community impact through social media amplification.
• Summit Annual fly-in event in Washington D.C. bringing ACA Connects members together with lawmakers, regulators, and industry leaders for policy discussions.
• The Independent Show Annual collaborative event hosted with NCTC for independent broadband and cable operators, featuring keynotes, workshops, and networking.
• ACA PAC Political action committee supporting Congressional candidates that drive telecommunications policy favorable to independent operators.
• Member Advisories Timely regulatory updates and compliance deadline notifications for ACA Connects member companies.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EducationSuperHighwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACA Connects partnered with EducationSuperHighway to support the K-12 Bridge to Broadband Program, a new initiative to help connect students to broadband for remote learning. This initiative helps close the digital divide for students without home internet access.
• National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCTC and ACA Connects co-host The Independent Show annually, bringing together members of both organizations for industry-leading content, networking, and education. NCTC provides content, connectivity, and technology solutions for ACA Connects members.
• Fierce NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerACA Connects partnered with Fierce Network and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) along with states, companies, and associations to build the broadband workforce of tomorrow through the Broadband Nation Job Portal.
• Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerACA Connects partnered with Fierce Network and TIA along with states, companies, and associations to build the broadband workforce of tomorrow through the Broadband Nation Job Portal.
• Bulk Broadband AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACA Connects coordinates with the Bulk Broadband Alliance, a coalition launched in July 2024 to educate policymakers on the benefits of bulk billing arrangements in multi-dwelling units. ACA filed FTC comments in coordination with this alliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CTIA: Wireless industry trade association representing carriers, equipment makers, and mobile broadband providers. While focused on mobile, CTIA engages on overlapping federal issues (spectrum policy, infrastructure deployment, permitting) that intersect with ACA Connects members offering mobile services.
• INCOMPAS: Trade association representing competitive networks, broadband providers, and technology companies. Engages on overlapping federal issues including broadband infrastructure deployment, competition policy, and BEAD program implementation relevant to ACA Connects members.
• Fiber Broadband Association: Trade association dedicated to fiber optic broadband deployment, with many independent operator members. Engages on the same federal policy issues (BEAD program, permitting reform, rural connectivity) that drive ACA Connects' advocacy agenda.
• NCTA - The Internet & Television Association: Trade association representing the U.S. cable television and broadband industry, including major cable operators. Like ACA Connects, NCTA delivers federal advocacy before Congress and the FCC on broadband, video, and communications policy, though it focuses on larger incumbent cable operators rather than independents.
• NCTC - National Content & Technology Cooperative: Member-owned cooperative providing content, connectivity, and technology solutions for independent broadband and cable operators. Co-hosts The Independent Show annually with ACA Connects and serves many of the same independent operator members, making it a closely aligned peer and partner.
• WISPA - Wireless Internet Service Providers Association: Trade association representing fixed wireless broadband providers, many of which are small independents serving rural and underserved markets. Shares ACA Connects' focus on federal advocacy for smaller broadband providers and active engagement in BEAD program implementation.
• NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association: Trade association representing small, rural, community-based broadband and telecommunications providers. Highly comparable to ACA Connects in serving small and independent operators with federal advocacy, regulatory compliance resources, and rural broadband deployment programs.
• USTelecom: Broadband and telecommunications industry association representing service providers of all sizes. Co-advocated with ACA Connects on the FCC permitting reform NPRM, demonstrating overlapping federal policy priorities around broadband deployment barriers and BEAD implementation.

Others

• CableLabs: Cable industry research and development consortium supporting cable broadband operators with technology standards and innovation. While not a trade association, CableLabs serves overlapping constituencies with ACA Connects and works on technical capabilities relevant to cable broadband deployment.
• SCTE, a CableLabs Organization: Cable telecommunications engineering society providing training and certification for cable industry technical professionals. Now operating as a CableLabs subsidiary, SCTE serves overlapping constituencies with ACA Connects through technical workforce development for member companies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acaconnects
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcDoS3TMFeRlVFid4cx6J2A
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACAConnects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acaconnects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 ACA Connects