Aug 14, 2026 · 32 min · 18 segments
With help from NRECA Broadband, co-ops providing internet service are boosting the quality of life in their communities. Federal funding is critical to that mission but comes with its own set of…
Erin DobozyGuest
Val EarlyGuest
Jeff BlaggGuest
Molly ChristianHost
Yeah, because without this federal support, I mean, you have your customers, you have your operating plans, capital plans, but do you see this federal support as being essential for you to be able to affordably, reliably build out your networks? How important is this federal funding piece?
And when you're maintaining a network like that and the backbone for that, it becomes critical to have operational support from other sources.
And Jeff, you mentioned permitting, and you've both talked about how permitting is a big piece of this.
What can the federal government do to be a better partner there? I know you've discussed-- I've talked to you before about challenges with pole replacements and other things in federal areas.
Maybe speak to the permitting side of this and discuss how NRECA Broadband can be a resource there.
You know, being able to advocate that we need more resource specialists back in place who can actually make decisions, that would be huge.
Would like to see NRECA continue to speak to that to federal officials who will listen.
And I know for me personally, some common sense would be great with some of the people at USDA, US Forest Service.
As I mentioned to you Molly, we are in the middle of a grant in a location in a national forest that we have to helicopter poles in to replace existing poles because of the snow and the wind loading.
We have to hand dig the holes for the helicopter to place the poles, and they are requiring a complete archaeological study, book resource, field study for those holes.
Whereas I've made a comment to them before that if it was during a storm season and it was imperative we went out there, we would just replace the poles using our equipment as usual.
And because this is a grant, they're, I think, seizing on the opportunity to have something performed that I think is unnecessary that's covered under operations and maintenance normally in a national forest.
Yeah, because without this federal support, I mean, you have your customers, you have your operating plans, capital plans, but do you see this federal support as being essential for you to be able to affordably, reliably build out your networks? How important is this federal funding piece?
And when you're maintaining a network like that and the backbone for that, it becomes critical to have operational support from other sources.
And Jeff, you mentioned permitting, and you've both talked about how permitting is a big piece of this.
What can the federal government do to be a better partner there? I know you've discussed-- I've talked to you before about challenges with pole replacements and other things in federal areas.
Maybe speak to the permitting side of this and discuss how NRECA Broadband can be a resource there.
You know, being able to advocate that we need more resource specialists back in place who can actually make decisions, that would be huge.
Would like to see NRECA continue to speak to that to federal officials who will listen.
And I know for me personally, some common sense would be great with some of the people at USDA, US Forest Service.
As I mentioned to you Molly, we are in the middle of a grant in a location in a national forest that we have to helicopter poles in to replace existing poles because of the snow and the wind loading.
We have to hand dig the holes for the helicopter to place the poles, and they are requiring a complete archaeological study, book resource, field study for those holes.
Whereas I've made a comment to them before that if it was during a storm season and it was imperative we went out there, we would just replace the poles using our equipment as usual.
And because this is a grant, they're, I think, seizing on the opportunity to have something performed that I think is unnecessary that's covered under operations and maintenance normally in a national forest.
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