The following summary has been condensed for length and readability. To listen to the full discussion, click . This episode is sponsored by and .
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine travels to San Antonio, Texas, for NTCA’s 2025 RTIME Conference, where he sits down with a leader who’s helping shape the future of rural connectivity, Roxie Jorgenson. Chair of the NTCA Board of Directors, longtime Director at Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA), and CEO of Roxberry LLC, Roxie brings a unique perspective that blends industry experience, community focus, and a deep passion for relationships that drive results.
NTCA’s Strategic Plan: Focused, Informed, and Future-Ready
The conversation revolves around NTCA’s newly unveiled strategic plan, developed over the course of 18 months with input from over 900 NTCA member organizations. The plan centers on three key pillars:
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Sustaining Universal Service Funding (USF)
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Navigating BEAD implementation and regulatory hurdles
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Evolving member services and benefits to meet today’s challenges
Roxie emphasizes the importance of member feedback in shaping this strategy. NTCA actively engaged its community through surveys, discussions, and collaborative sessions to ensure the plan would be both relevant and actionable. The urgency of the moment is clear: the rural broadband ecosystem is at a tipping point, and having a unified strategic direction is essential.
The Workforce Dilemma in Rural Telecom
One of the most pressing challenges facing the industry today is workforce development. Rural providers are struggling to recruit and retain skilled labor—particularly in high-demand fields like engineering, fiber splicing, and technical support. Roxie outlines how NTCA is partnering with educational institutions, including Northwestern University, to deliver credentialed training programs that can quickly onboard new talent.
She also highlights state-level partnerships, such as MTA’s collaboration with apprenticeship programs in Alaska, which help offset training costs and ensure workers are prepared for the demands of today’s broadband operations. But even with these efforts, talent retention remains difficult in areas where other industries, like healthcare, can offer higher salaries. Roxie shares real-world stories that drive home the need for more competitive compensation models and stronger internal culture-building efforts.
Building Culture Through Connection
Beyond technical training, Roxie believes the industry must invest in workplace culture and employee connection. Through her work at Roxbury LLC, she helps companies repair internal fractures that often go unnoticed—especially between departments or leadership tiers.
Her proprietary programs—Client Loyalty Accelerator™ and Trust-to-Profit™—are designed to teach companies how to build sustainable trust across teams and with clients. The results? Lower attrition, deeper client relationships, and more resilient business growth.
“Technology alone isn’t enough,” Roxie says. “People stay where they feel heard, valued, and empowered. That’s true in telecom—and it’s true everywhere.”
From Business Owner to Board Chair: Roxie’s Leadership Journey
Roxie’s journey is anything but conventional. She began her career as an entrepreneur at age 19 and eventually took a supervisory role at MTA in Alaska. When her position was eliminated due to restructuring, she didn’t walk away from the industry—she leaned in. Within two years, she was elected to the NTCA Board of Directors, becoming one of the few local telco board directors in leadership at the national level.
Her story highlights the power of persistence and the importance of showing up. “I didn’t even know what NTCA was when I first attended their conference,” she laughs. “But I knew I wanted to build something bigger.”
Her leadership style is grounded in accessibility, authenticity, and a relentless focus on listening. She views her role not just as Chair, but as a voice for the hundreds of rural directors who might not otherwise be heard.
Bridging the Connectivity Gap
Roxie and Brad also discuss the digital divide—specifically, the distinction between being unconnected and being under-connected. While some Americans lack broadband entirely, millions more have substandard access that doesn’t support modern needs like remote work, telehealth, or video conferencing.
Roxie stresses the importance of middle-mile infrastructure to enhance network redundancy and resilience. “We’re building last-mile connections,” she says, “but without a strong middle mile, rural providers are stuck with brittle, fragile systems.”
She advocates for more attention to these underlying systems—not just the visible fiber lines to homes, but the vast backend that makes real-time connectivity possible.
Preparing for AI and Automation in Rural Networks
Looking to the future, Roxie sees AI and automation playing an increasingly vital role in broadband operations. From predictive maintenance and intelligent customer support to resource scheduling and operational optimization, rural providers must embrace technology to stay competitive.
But adoption must be thoughtful. Roxie advocates for AI literacy at all levels of broadband organizations—not just the IT team. Leaders, customer service reps, and even field techs should have a basic understanding of how AI can help (or harm) their work. NTCA is already exploring how to offer training and guidance in this area.
Funding, Flexibility, and the Next Chapter
Federal funding programs like BEAD and ReConnect are transforming the broadband landscape—but Roxie cautions that these are not long-term solutions. Once the networks are built, providers will face steep costs to maintain and upgrade them.
“Just because you built it doesn’t mean it’s over,” she explains. “Batteries need replacing. Equipment ages. You need constant investment.”
She urges broadband companies to explore new revenue streams and diversify their business models to weather future funding shifts. Whether through smart home services, business bundles, or community partnerships, innovation will be key to sustainability.
The Relationship Revolution
The core of Roxie’s message—and her life’s work—is that relationships are the foundation of every successful venture. Whether she’s coaching CEOs, helping staff teams align, or leading at the national level, she believes in the transformative power of trust and communication.
“In broadband and beyond, trust is the new currency,” she says. “The technology will evolve. But people—how we treat them, how we lead them—will always be the deciding factor.”
Final Thoughts
Roxie Jorgensen’s leadership blends strategic vision with emotional intelligence. As a Relationship Revenue Strategist and NTCA Chair, she’s helping define what the future of rural broadband looks like—not just in terms of infrastructure, but in terms of people, purpose, and potential.
Her work is a powerful reminder that true transformation starts with connection. As the broadband industry continues to evolve, Roxie’s story and insights are a guiding light for anyone seeking to build something that lasts.
© 2025 Enhanced Telecommunications.
