The Rural Wireless Association is a Washington, DC-based trade association that ensures wireless carrier members with fewer than 100,000 subscribers have a strong voice in our nation’s capital.  RWA’s members have joined together to speed delivery of new, efficient, and innovative telecommunications technologies to underserved rural communities across the country.

Benefits of Joining RWA:

• Innovative advocacy by legal and regulatory experts devoted to strengthening policies that affect rural wireless companies
• Essential information provided to members as it unfolds
• Valuable relationships strengthened through committee participation, conferences, and member-only networking events
• Knowledgeable and responsive Public Policy Committee shapes the association’s legislative and regulatory agendas to better serve our members
• Member-run Education Committee that uses webinars, briefings, white papers, and member teleconferences to inform and instruct
• Member-driven advocacy approach
• Member-elected Board of Directors consisting of C-levels each with over 20+ years of industry experience
• Member-only briefings detailing congressional and FCC actions, as well as other issues that impact rural carriers

Voting Members – Carriers (Carrier 1, Carrier 2 and Carrier 3)

A Voting (Carrier) member is an FCC licensee or one that leases spectrum from an FCC licensee with under 100,000 subscribers.  FY2023 Carrier Member Rates:

• Carrier 1 (0 to 500 wireless subscribers) – Membership Investment: $3,500
• Carrier 2 (501 to 2,000 wireless subscribers) – Membership Investment: $6,900
• Carrier 3 (2,001 to 10,000 wireless subscribers) – Membership Investment: $12,000
• Carrier 4 (10,001 to 100,000 wireless subscribers) – Membership Investment: $23,000
• Download an FY2023 membership application and email the completed form to mgiroux@ruralwireless.org.

Fixed-wireless-only Members

• A provider of fixed-wireless broadband internet services only.  Non-voting member.
• Learn more:  RWA provides a unified voice for fixed wireless issues, especially in rural America.
• FY2023 Membership Investment: $5,000
• Download an FY2023 membership application and email the completed form to mgiroux@ruralwireless.org.

Associate Members

• Any company providing goods or services to the rural wireless industry (consulting firms, law firms, engineering firms, suppliers and those companies not otherwise qualifying as a Voting or Supporting Member).
• FY2023 Membership Investment: $2,750
• Download an FY2023 membership application and email the completed form to mgiroux@ruralwireless.org

Supporting Members

• Resellers of wireless services, unlicensed providers of service and affiliated companies of Voting Members.
• FY2023 Membership Investment: $4,600
• Download an FY2023 membership application and email the completed form to mgiroux@ruralwireless.org.

2023 Tax Status

Dues payments to RWA are NOT deductible as charitable contributions for federal tax purposes. However, dues payments may be deductible as an “ordinary and necessary” business expense. The passage of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Clinton 1993 Tax Act) limits the deductibility of dues payment to associations. The portion of dues payment used for lobbying expenses by the association is no longer deductible for Federal Income Tax purposes. We have determined that the deductible portion of RWA dues for 2021 may be 90.00%.