What Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association does

The Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association (WSTA) is a non-profit trade association headquartered in Monona, Wisconsin, that serves as the unified voice for the state's telecommunications industry. Founded in 1910, WSTA represents more than 70 incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), internet service providers (ISPs), and wireless carriers operating in Wisconsin, providing policy advocacy with state and federal lawmakers and regulators, regulatory navigation, networking, and professional development. The Wisconsin State Telecommunications Foundation (WSTF), established in 1965 as a separately incorporated non-profit affiliate, administers a scholarship program that has awarded over $1,917,500 to more than 1,503 students in telecommunications-served communities.

WSTA's core "products" are membership services and a portfolio of annual industry events including the Annual Convention, Fall Conference and Exhibits, Broadband Forum, Government Relations Seminar, Marketing/Sales/Customer Service Seminar, Sales Seminar, and the Fiber Frenzy E-Sports Tournament. Adjacent programs include the Northwood Tech Broadband Academy and Broadband Service Technician Apprenticeship (workforce development in partnership with Northwood Technical College), the Gigabit Business Park economic development initiative (with WEDC), Internet Safety educational resources, broadband expansion grant coordination, and the FONEPAC political action committee. The association runs on the Wild Apricot membership-management platform.

WSTA's revenue model is a mix of undisclosed membership dues from member carriers, tiered Annual Partnership sponsorships (Platinum $10,000, Gold $6,000, Silver $3,000), event registration and ancillary fees (e.g., $85 golf outings, $150 hole sponsorships), and donations to the affiliated foundation. It is governed by a board of directors drawn from member companies (e.g., TDS, AT&T, Brightspeed, Nsight, Mosaic Technologies, Vernon Communications, Mount Horeb Telephone), with Bill Esbeck serving as Secretary/Treasurer and Executive Director, John Van Ooyen (Mount Horeb Telephone) as President, and Terry Kucera (Farmers Independent) as Immediate Past-President.

Name

Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association

Legal name

Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association

Website

https://wsta.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association is a non-profit trade association, founded in 1910, representing more than 70 incumbent local exchange carriers, ISPs, and wireless carriers in Wisconsin through policy advocacy, industry events, workforce development, and scholarship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Trade association funded through membership dues from incumbent local exchange carriers, internet service providers, and wireless carriers operating in Wisconsin.
2. Annual Partnership Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from Annual Partnership packages at Platinum ($10,000), Gold ($6,000), and Silver ($3,000) levels, providing sponsorship credits toward Annual Convention, Fall Conference, and Membership Directory Advertising.
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from events including Annual Convention, Fall Conference, Broadband Forum, sales seminars, government relations seminars, and golf outings (e.g., $85 per golfer for golf outings).
4. Foundation Donations: The Wisconsin State Telecommunications Foundation accepts donations to fund scholarships; $1,500 scholarship awarded per $1,200 contributed from each telecommunications company.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WSTA is a non-profit trade association that represents more than 70 incumbent local exchange carriers, internet service providers, and wireless carriers operating in Wisconsin. Its core offerings include unified policy advocacy before state and federal lawmakers and regulators, regulatory navigation support, professional development events (Annual Convention, Fall Conference, Broadband Forum, seminars), the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Foundation scholarship program, and broadband expansion grant coordination.

Product overview

Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association (WSTA) is a member-run trade association serving Wisconsin's telecommunications industry. WSTA is NOT a product/technology company but rather an industry association offering membership services, advocacy, events, and educational programs. The organization provides a unified voice for incumbent local exchange carriers, internet service providers, and wireless carriers before state and federal policymakers and regulators. Its core offerings include: annual conventions and conferences (Annual Convention, Fall Conference, Broadband Forum), professional development seminars (Government Relations, Marketing/Sales, Sales Seminar), the WSTF Scholarship Program for Wisconsin students, workforce development initiatives (Broadband Service Technician Apprenticeship, Northwood Tech Broadband Academy), broadband expansion advocacy and grant information, internet safety educational resources, and the Gigabit Business Park economic development initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WSTA Membership Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 71 broadband projects funded bringing broadband to 82,912 residences and 4,566 businesses in 45 Wisconsin counties.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Public Service Commission of WisconsincoreOthersWSTA works closely with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on broadband expansion grant programs, including advocacy for increased funding and coordination of member participation in the state's $125 million Broadband Expansion Grant Program.
• Wisconsin Locally Owned Telephone Association (WLOTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts the annual Badger Pioneers Fall Golf Outing with WLOTA. The joint event includes the WLOTA Annual Fall Conference and 87th Annual WLOTA Badger Pioneers Meeting, demonstrating strong industry collaboration.
• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSTA partnered with WEDC on the Gigabit Business Park initiative, promoting gigabit-capable business parks throughout Wisconsin to attract economic development.
• Northwood Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSTA developed the Northwood Tech Broadband Academy and Broadband Service Technician Apprenticeship program in partnership with Northwood Technical College to address workforce development needs in the telecommunications industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• USTelecom: National broadband industry trade association representing a broad cross-section of carriers (including large incumbents like AT&T that are WSTA members); comparable trade-association function at national scale.

Emerging players

• ACA Connects – America's Communications Association: National trade association representing smaller and independent broadband providers; competes with WSTA-aligned members (Brightspeed, TDS) for advocacy relevance, especially on federal USF and broadband-policy issues.

Direct peers

• NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association: National trade association representing rural broadband and telecom providers, including many of the same ILEC/cooperative member companies WSTA serves; the primary national peer for rural-telecom advocacy, events, and policy.
• Illinois Telecommunications Association: Illinois state-level trade association serving independent and rural telecom carriers; functionally analogous to WSTA, with comparable membership base and legislative-advocacy focus.
• WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband: National association representing rural telecommunications providers across western and midwestern states; a directly comparable rural-telecom trade association with overlapping member-company profiles.
• Iowa Telecommunications Association: Iowa state-level trade association serving rural ILECs, cooperatives, and broadband providers; near-identical functional profile to WSTA in a neighboring state with comparable rural-broadband policy environment.
• Minnesota Telecom Alliance (MTA): A Minnesota state-level trade association for rural and independent telecom providers; mirrors WSTA's structure, services, and member segment in an adjacent Upper-Midwest state with similar broadband-deployment dynamics.
• Wisconsin Locally Owned Telephone Association (WLOTA): A Wisconsin-based trade association representing locally owned telephone companies; the most directly comparable peer, jointly hosting the annual Badger Pioneers Fall Golf Outing with WSTA and operating in the same member segment and geography.
• Michigan Telecommunications Association: Michigan state-level telecom trade association representing ILECs and broadband providers; a structurally analogous peer operating in a neighboring Midwest state with similar member profiles and advocacy remit.

Regional players

• Indiana Broadband Industry Association: Indiana state-level trade association for broadband and telecom providers; analogous trade-association model operating in a neighboring state, useful for benchmarking event programming and member engagement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisconsin-state-telecommunications-association-wsta-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association