Tim Donovan, president and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), told RCR that rural carriers may be able to monetize existing land, fiber, and power assets through modular, edge-based AI infra
In sum – what to know:
Broadband expands reach – Regional carriers are increasingly combining wireless, fiber, and fixed wireless to connect customers across their footprints.
Satellite fills gaps – Donovan sees satellite connectivity primarily as a way for regional operators to close coverage gaps and match services offered by nationwide carriers.
AI creates opportunities – Rural carriers may be able to monetize existing land, fiber and power assets through modular, edge-based AI infrastructure.
The business of U.S. regional wireless carriers is increasingly extending beyond mobile connectivity, with broadband, satellite and potentially AI infrastructure creating new opportunities, according to Tim Donovan, president and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA).
In an interview with RCR Wireless News ahead of CCA’s 2026 annual convention, which takes place September 14–16 in New Orleans, Donovan said broadband has become an increasingly important growth area for regional operators, partly because of policy efforts to close the digital divide.
For traditional mobile operators, the opportunity is partly about leveraging infrastructure they already have. Donovan said mobile carriers are likely to already have fiber running to towers and can consider extending that connectivity to consumers, while fixed wireless can also be deployed using existing mobile radios or additional fixed-wireless equipment.
The shift also reflects a broader change in how operators think about their businesses. “There aren’t really any pure play mobile carriers any longer that the business case is less siloed over what kind of technology you’re using and more of how do you reach your customers,” Donovan said.
Satellite connectivity is another part of that changing landscape, although Donovan does not view it primarily as a new standalone revenue stream for regional carriers. Instead, satellite can help operators fill coverage gaps and provide services comparable to those offered by nationwide competitors.
“The satellite connectivity and directed device services I think are less of a new revenue stream but more of a how do you fill gaps that you may have in coverage,” he said.
That pressure is also coming from customers. Donovan pointed to the visibility created by nationwide carrier satellite offerings, saying both consumers and enterprise customers are asking regional carriers what their plans are for providing similar connectivity.
At the same time, Donovan sees a less-developed opportunity emerging around AI infrastructure. Rural carriers may possess several of the physical resources being sought for AI deployments, including land, fiber, and power. Donovan said rural carriers are more likely to already own the land their towers sit on, as well as fiber and potentially redundant fiber, while power at remote sites is often over-engineered to ensure reliability. “Those are the same ingredients that we’re talking about in the policy discussions over AI infrastructure,” he said.
That raises the possibility of using some of those assets for smaller, distributed infrastructure rather than relying exclusively on large data centers. “So are there opportunities that instead of building a huge data center, can you do something more modular, more at the edge and create a new revenue stream that can then support the very same operations that you have of the rural carrier to provide coverage from everything from supporting smartphones and phone calls to 911 service?” Donovan said.
Power is particularly relevant to that discussion because carriers may already be paying for infrastructure needed to operate remote sites. “Especially if carriers are already paying for power, there may be ways to put that spending to work and generate revenue when it isn’t needed for network operations,” Donovan said.
The expansion beyond traditional wireless also raises questions about who owns the customer relationship as regional carriers work with satellite providers, hyperscalers and other partners.
Donovan said business models vary. Some regional operators seek to control the customer relationship end-to-end, while others are comfortable partnering with providers even when the service is not delivered under their own brand. Ultimately, he said, the question is less about ownership in isolation and more about ensuring regional carriers can provide the services customers increasingly expect.
The convergence of these technologies will be a major theme as CCA brings regional and competitive carriers together at its 2026 annual convention in New Orleans. Donovan said the event comes at a time when technology silos are breaking down and carriers are assessing both the opportunities and challenges created by AI.
“It’s an exciting time as all of these silos of technology have come down, as there’s new opportunities with AI, as there’s new challenges with AI, and especially the role that it has in different cyber applications,” Donovan said.
