40 WISPs Lobby Capitol Hill During Annual WISPA Fly-in Day

Washington, DC, April 17, 2024 – 40 WISP industry executives fanned out across Capitol Hill today to meet with over 50 U.S. Senate and House Members and their staff.  Their message: Wireless internet service providers bring reliable broadband to 10 million Americans in rural, under-resourced and Tribal areas, making lives there better, safer and more prosperous.  As Washington works to eradicate the digital divide, those programs have a far better chance of achieving their goals where WISPs are involved.

There are approximately 2,700 American WISPs, which are mainly small, rural companies.  They employ a broad variety of fixed (not mobile) technology – including fiber; and licensed, shared, and unlicensed wireless spectrum – to deliver high-speed broadband.  Touting the ethos “the right tool for the job,” WISPs offer cost-effective, competitive, and innovative service options in areas which have been left behind by legacy providers or large national corporations.  The resourcefulness and agility of WISPs has allowed them to grow in a marketplace many find too difficult or costly to serve.

Over the past 20 years, the industry has undergone significant technological and business model changes.  This has only intensified post-COVID as most Americans now recognize fast and reliable Internet is not just “nice to have” but a necessity.   Not surprisingly, today’s communications landscape has invited the growing involvement of government actors, working to ensure reliable broadband makes it to those who do not have it.

A number of recent actions and proposals from Washington have underscored the need of WISPs to more actively advocate for themselves and the communities they serve.  While many such policies are well meaning, WISPs emphasized to lawmakers today that their efforts will yield greater success when they invite more solutions – such as those from WISPs – to the table.

More specifically, WISPs called for law or policies which:

• Provide meaningful access to more spectrum.
• Enable focused, transparent and technologically neutral government support where needed to bridge the digital divide.
• Grant equitable and fast access to infrastructure and rights-of-way.
• And, where regulation is necessary, create rules that do not unduly burden small ISPs.

Celebrating 20 Years of WISPA – Broadband Without Boundaries
WISPA’s approximately 1000 members provide fixed broadband connectivity and include equipment suppliers, support services, and other industry partners and stakeholders. Our members provide broadband access to millions of residential and business customers in rural, urban, and Tribal areas across America.

Contact
Mike Wendy
WISPA
202-763-5257
mwendy@wispa.org