On Thursday, July 10, 2025, our community economic development team was at the office of the United Way of Central Kansas (UWCK) in Great Bend. We were there to present a Certificate of Membership to the Executive Director, Charell Owings, following the successful hosting of a Nex-Tech Academy Session at Hoisington Middle School in February 2025.
The Universal Service Fund (USF) is a system of telecommunications fees managed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure affordable and widespread access to telecommunications services. In simple terms, the FCC collects financial contributions from telecommunications companies, like Nex-Tech, and uses those funds to support and expand access to telecommunications services throughout the United States.
In rural communities, a little support can make a big difference. Just ask the team at the Lenora Public Library. In November of 2024, the library received a $5,000 grant from the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) Community Grant Program. With those funds, they upgraded their computer systems and significantly improved access to digital resources for their patrons.
At Nex-Tech, Northwest Kansas isn’t just where we work — it’s where we live, raise families, and build community. That’s why we’re passionate about supporting local organizations that help our region thrive. One such organization is the Northwest Kansas Travel Council (NWKTC), a nonprofit that has been promoting tourism and economic growth across 18 counties since 1992.
LENORA, KS, July 14, 2025 – Nex-Tech has made a $50,000 loan to support the effort of Birdsall Automotive to open an automotive shop and service the vehicle needs of the northwest region of Kansas. The loan was made possible through the Nex-Tech Revolving Loan Fund, which provides funds to eligible local businesses to create employment and contribute to sustaining the local economy. The loan is a testament to our commitment to making life better for the customers and communities we serve.
For many families across our service footprint, the summer season means a time to travel, unwind, relax, and make lasting memories. The high plains region of northwest Kansas remains a hidden gem that offers many enjoyable natural beauties. The good news is you wouldn’t even miss out on your reliable Nex-Tech Wireless mobile connection when you visit these. Check them out!
When people think about cyberattacks, it’s easy to imagine headlines involving big-name corporations with massive IT budgets. But here’s the truth: cybercriminals aren’t just going after the giants, they’re going after businesses like yours. In fact, small and mid-sized businesses are some of the most frequent targets. Why? Because they’re often the most vulnerable.
Workforce recruitment and retention challenges are not isolated to any single community in Kansas; they are a widespread concern across Western Kansas. Employers in every economic sector are struggling to attract qualified applicants, and even more critically, to retain the talent they already have.
In 2023, Nex-Tech was awarded over $2.2 million through the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Broadband Infrastructure Program to bring broadband access to one of the most underserved regions in Kansas: a 99% unserved area in rural Saline County. Nex-Tech matched this amount, contributing an additional $2,293,000 to the project. Thanks to this vital funding, Nex-Tech was able to construct the necessary infrastructure to deliver high-speed fiber broadband to this rural community, a transformative step forward for both residents and businesses.
The need for high-speed broadband in rural northwest Kansas has never been greater, and our mission of connecting families, businesses, and communities has never been clearer. These all came to life recently in the towns of Oberlin, KS, and Herndon, KS. We had customer sign-up events in both towns, where we invited residents to dinner, answered their questions, and signed them up to our fiber network.