@RCA 2010: Rural Cellular Association refocuses on advocacy

LAS VEGAS – The Rural Cellular Association kicked off its annual convention with a pledge to improve the trade organizations efforts in Washington, D.C., following a reorganization that saw the trade group replace its former executive director with a new CEO. RCA’s new leadership announced the renewed focus in the face of what it deemed the most stressful time for telecom lobbying efforts in our nation’s capital.
Speaking during an opening session, recently named RCA President and CEO Steven Berry said he had never seen a more daunting agenda for the Federal Communications Commission than the one currently in its plate. Berry, who replaced former executive director Eric Peterson last fall, noted that the recently introduced National Broadband Plan has foisted an enormous amount of work onto the FCC with 30 to 40 notices of proposed rulemaking expected to be tackled.
Berry said RCA has placed a new emphasis on advocacy and that in support of that has recently moved its offices from Virginia to Washington, D.C. In addition, RCA has beefed up its staff and expanded its board of directors to incorporate more of its associate members. This is important as the trade group noted its carrier membership has dropped slightly from last year while its associate membership has grown.
Berry also highlighted a trio of new initiatives from RCA, including a more interactive Web site and social media initiatives; plans to conduct a new benchmark survey of its members; and its Unite the Carrier Campaign designed to strengthen its representation in front of lawmakers. RCA also updated its logo to further add some spice to its new mission.
RCA gained a significant victory earlier this month when the FCC cut the home-roaming exclusion rule that allowed carriers to deny roaming agreements to other operators that owned spectrum in a market where the roaming was being requested, but did not yet operator a network.
Despite the hard-fought victory, RCA is continuing to push the FCC on other topics it feels are of utmost importance to rural carriers, including data roaming, USF reform and handset exclusivity deals. Berry recently told RCR Wireless News that the handset exclusivity topic is a matter of allowing rural carriers to even participate in the quest to attract consumers, a position echoed by consumer groups and a topic RCA has pursued for years.
RCA also unveiled its 2009 Annual Report that showed the organization turned around a nearly quarter-million dollar loss in 2008 to nearly $223,000 in net income in 2009. This was done the old-fashioned way: an increase in income and reduction in costs. It also helped that a change of venue for a 2009 event resulted in a significant hotel compensation package.