The Rural Telecommunications Group (RTG), the only trade association dedicated to serving rural wireless carriers with fewer than 100,000 subscribers, announced it is changing its name to the Rural Wireless Association (RWA) to better reflect the association’s mission and focus.

The announcement was made during RWA’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois.

RWA has experienced consistent membership growth and advocacy success over the past several years. The association has also emerged as the representative of rural wireless carriers. These positive developments prompted the association’s Board of Directors to evaluate the name and branding of the association and ultimately led to the adoption of RWA.

“The association has been dedicated to serving the rural wireless community for many years,” said RWA Executive Director, Tanya Sullivan. “The RWA name will better communicate our mission and distinguish us as the voice of rural wireless through our advocacy efforts on the Hill and at the FCC.”

RWA’s Annual Meeting included elections to the Board of Directors. Newly elected directors are Craig Gates, CEO of DTC Communications and Michael Kilgore, CEO and General Manager of Sagebrush Cellular. Re-elected to the board were Shawn Hanson, General Manager and CEO of Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. and Andrew Silberstein, Vice President/General Manager of Globecomm Network Services.

About RWA – Headquartered in Washington, DC, RWA – the Rural Wireless Association is a trade association representing rural wireless carriers who each serve fewer than 100,000 subscribers. RTG’s members have joined together to speed delivery of new, efficient and innovative telecommunications technologies to remote and underserved communities. For more information visit ruralwireless.org @RTGwireless