Las Vegas, Nev., (September 16, 2025)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield today announced the winners of the 2025 Smart Rural Community Showcase Awards, presented annually to rural broadband providers who not only provide high-quality, reliable connectivity, but who also have led the way on collaborative and innovative projects that advance the communities they serve.
The Smart Rural Community program is a network of more than 290 communities across a wide swath of rural America supported by NTCA member providers who are committed to driving growth through robust broadband service. The Showcase Awards are presented to providers in recognition of their extraordinary achievements in promoting rural broadband networks and innovative applications that create opportunities for the educators, health care providers, farmers, small business owners, public safety professionals and others who help their communities thrive.
The following providers were recognized:
- Bulloch Solutions (Statesboro, Ga.) – Bulloch Solutions designed and deployed a redundant network to support a new manufacturing facility in Bulloch County. The cooperative’s commitment to excellence also extends to the communities it serves, as it has partnered with community leaders and organizations to host literacy events, business expos and career days.
- Home Telecom (Moncks Corner, S.C.) – Home Telecom is working to bridge the digital divide in South Carolina's Lowcountry by deploying SmartTown community Wi-Fi networks to ensure students have access to broadband outside of school and helped launch the Berkeley Community Resource hub to provide hands-on digital literacy training.
- Lynxx Networks (Camp Douglas, Wis.) – Lynxx Networks partnered with the Tomah Area School District to connect 13 schools and district facilities over 400 square miles with a 100% fiber 10 Gbps network. In addition, Lynxx Networks organizes a Giving Tree program, which has provided gifts to over 1,000 children over the past 15 years.
- Rainbow Communications (Everest, Kan.) – Rainbow partnered with local schools, including Highland Community College, to support their esports programs, leading to the creation of the Rainbow Esports Scholarship, awarded annually to one student who joins the HCC esports team.
- Truvista (Chester, S.C.) – Truvista partnered with local schools to establish a digital literacy and internet safety program for students as well as a Teacher Village housing complex to help recruit and retain teachers.
- Twin Lakes (Gainesboro, Tenn.) – Twin Lakes launched the Twin Lakes Difference Grant Program in 2020. In the past six years, 104 community organizations have been awarded over $480,000 in grants to help drive economic development, enhance education, improve public safety and strengthen communities.
- United Communications (Franklin, Tenn.) – United Communications launched Project UNITE, through which it has secured more than $110 million in federal and state grants for broadband expansion, aligning deployment plans with the economic development strategies and needs of the communities it serves.
- West Carolina (Abbeville, S.C.) – After Hurricane Helene hit West Carolina's service territory, the coop turned its offices into hubs where community members could charge devices, connect to the internet and contact loved ones. It also stepped up to ensure that Self Regional Healthcare facility and Anderson County Emergency Services had the connectivity needed to provide emergency assistance.
“I always love seeing the exciting work that our Showcase Award winners are doing to better their communities, and this year is no exception,” said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield. “This year’s winners continue to exemplify how local broadband providers deliver positive impacts that improve the quality of life in the communities they serve. These community-driven efforts to connect more rural Americans – and to keep them connected to life-changing technologies – offer stories of success that can be repeated. I would like to congratulate Bulloch Solutions, Home Telecom, Lynxx Networks, Rainbow Communications, Truvista, Twin Lakes, United Communications and West Carolina on this accomplishment!”
The 2025 Showcase Award winners were announced at the 2025 Fall Conference. Watch the announcement video here.
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing about 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.