Nex-Tech Blog

For over 80 years, the Universal Service Fund (USF) has helped rural communications providers like Nex-Tech and others in western Kansas to provide and maintain connectivity to many of our rural towns. Simply put, Nex-Tech and perhaps your local broadband company may not be able to construct or maintain broadband networks without this federal fund. However, recent events at the federal level have raised controversial questions about the fund, and it is now necessary to shed more light on this with our community stakeholders.

The City of Morland is located in Graham County in the northwest region of Kansas. Nex-Tech has been serving the people of Morland with fiber broadband for many years. I recently had a great time visiting Morland and engaging with the city council on ways to work together to enhance the quality of life in the city.

As a company, we are grateful to be able to serve so many families and businesses across Kansas and beyond. We are humbled that some of these opportunities can mark the beginning of a career for a young person and set them up for success many years from now.

There is a new ‘cool’ grant out there from the Kansas Department of Commerce (KDOC), called the Towns Grant. See all the details on the grant page: https://www.kansascommerce.gov/towns/

For many years, we have taken steps to support the training and mentoring of young people who are entering the broadband and technology industry. We have done this through internships, sponsorships, scholarships, and lots more.

At Nex-Tech, we are a big believer in rural America. We serve rural America with services from Home/Business Broadband Services to TV Now, Managed IT and Cloud to Business Communications Infrastructure, Creative Solutions to Physical Security Solutions, and Cybersecurity to our NOC and Carrier Services; not forgetting our youth services, donations, sponsorships, and giveaways to members of our community.

Nex-Tech is a member of the NTCA, the Rural Broadband Association. Through the NTCA, we can collaborate, draw inspiration, and access innovation alongside other rural broadband providers nationwide.

One of the things we do as part of our community engagement efforts is to engage with local decision-makers, often in government, in the interest of the customers and communities Nex-Tech serves. When we talk with officials, we tend to ask questions relating to government policy, and also express the feedback we have received from our customers and our communities. It’s a great relationship where the public and private sectors work together to make lives better.

On Monday, November 4th, 2024, we joined our CEO Jimmy Todd, as he presented a check of $12,000 to support the endowment funds of Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth, Inc (NGRUFY). For over a decade, we have championed the cause of the next generation by supporting and in some cases, underwriting the youth development programs and initiatives of NGRUFY.

Nex-Tech is supporting a new train-the-trainer, volunteer-led effort to address the broadband knowledge and affordability gap in Kansas. It is called the Digital Ambassadors Program. The program seeks to increase digital literacy and skills among Kansas citizens.