Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association (WSTA)

05/22/2026

Thank you to all of the attendees and exhibitors at WSTA's 116th Annual Convention in Lake Geneva this week! We enjoyed informative and entertaining presentations from NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association CEO Mike Romano and former Green Bay Packers and Super Bowl Champion Frank Winters during our opening general session. A perfect way to kick off our event!

04/30/2026

Thank you to the WSTA members who made the trip to Washington, D.C. earlier this week for the NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association Legislative & Policy Conference. We had great meetings with the Wisconsin delegation offices. Our meetings focused on the importance of the Universal Service Fund and related programs.

04/14/2026

Don't miss out on your chance to register and book your room for the WSTA Annual Convention at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. Discounted room rates are only good through this Friday, April 17th, or until the block fills (whichever comes first). Spots are filling up fast, learn more at http://wsta.info/116th-convention

03/26/2026

BEAD winners are facing significant price increases and extended delivery times for BABA compliant fiber. Kudos to Light Reading for covering this serious supply chain disruption.

From the attached article:

According to those discussions, some BEAD winners have had fiber purchase orders canceled, forcing them to scramble to find affordable and timely replacements. Some ISP leaders who spoke with Light Reading also described receiving revised purchase orders for fiber with a cost increase as high as 70-80%.

Others cited lengthy timelines for materials. One BEAD-winning service provider said the company was told the loose tube fiber it would typically use from Corning now had a 52-week lead time.

Two ISPs specifically described placing fiber orders with CommScope, only to have those orders canceled months later due to the vendor's inability to get BABA-compliant glass from Corning. [Editor's note: CommScope's Connectivity and Cable Solutions business (CCS) was acquired by Amphenol in January.] As those ISPs noted, this was due to Corning ceasing glass sales to CommScope and others.

As fiber suppliers project confidence about their ability to meet BEAD's needs, ISPs are fretting over canceled contracts, high costs and material delays.

03/26/2026

Dramatically increasing prices and long delivery times for BABA compliant fiber are a serious issue for all broadband providers, and BEAD winners in particular.

From the attached article:

The CFO of one company participating in BEAD said their contractor often handles procurement, and had placed an order for BABA fiber in November in anticipation of their project.

“We thought we were going to be fine,” the CFO said. “Until maybe two, three weeks ago he received notice that his order was flat out canceled, with not really much of an explanation.”

They said their company was looking at an alternative cable, as the usual loose tube would be a year-long wait, but it wasn’t clear how much the new product would cost.

An engineering director from another BEAD participant whose previous orders were also canceled said their quotes for BABA-compliant fiber were now about 40 percent higher than when the company had applied for grant funding, potentially putting pressure on the build plan.

“Grant applications were due a year ago,” they said. “We anticipated some inflation, but not 40 percent.”

ISPs have reported canceled or delayed orders.

03/19/2026

Thank you to the lawmakers, government officials and members who participated in our 2026 Government Relations Seminar. It was a great review of recent session success and opportunity to start planning for future sessions.

03/13/2026

Registration for the 116th Annual Convention is now open! We are thrilled to host Wisconsin's premier telecommunications and broadband industry event this year at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva. Please visit the link below for more information for attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors and to sign up!

https://wsta.info/116th-Convention

02/20/2026

Thank you to Senator Romaine Robert Quinn and Representative Rob Summerfield for their work to support rural broadband expansion this session!

Their legislation, Senate Bill 176 and Assembly Bill 208, took another significant step in the process yesterday when it passed the Assembly on a bipartisan vote. The amended bill will now go back to the Senate for concurrence.

As amended, the legislation creates an income tax credit for government funds (i.e. local, state, federal or tribal grants; all FCC high-cost support) used for broadband expansion. The proposed income tax credit will help broadband providers expedite BEAD projects as they compete on a regional and national basis for construction crews, fiber, hardware, and other critical resources.

02/04/2026

Thank you, Senator Romaine Robert Quinn, for your leadership and work to promote rural broadband expansion!

Today on finance we took up my legislation to exempt broadband grants from being taxed! This allows our small internet providers, like Mosaic Technologies, Norvado, and Citizens Connected to use 100% of any grant they receive to put fiber into the ground and reach our most rural neighbors. 🛜

Disappointed to see my Democrat colleagues now flip and oppose my once bipartisan bill. Rumor has it the Governor no longer wants to sign it, so he’s making sure it remains partisan. It might be cold out, but it looks like it’s flip flop season in Madison! 🩴

02/03/2026

Don’t Miss out! The deadline for submitting speaking proposals for our 116th Annual Convention is this Friday February 6th, 2026.
Share your expertise and help the industry grow! Submit your speaking proposals for using the link below.
We look forward to hearing about the exciting topics for our convention!
https://forms.gle/CJ7B5dMdPWrEVkSJ7