Rural broadband loves these small—but important—regulatory wins

Rural broadband providers just got a couple of early Christmas gifts in the form of regulatory relief. But whether the moves will amount to anything once Trump takes office remains to be seen. The U.S. Senate passed legislation that would essentially simplify financial reporting requirements for rural telecommunications providers. The bill, referred to as the ACCESS Rural America Act, increases the shareholder registration threshold for providers that “receive support through certain Federal universal service support mechanisms.” While it doesn’t sound too exciting at first glance, the legislation underscores the regulatory headache smaller broadband providers face when dealing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said Mike Romano, EVP of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association.