Some rural broadband providers are early adopters of artificial intelligence (AI) while others remain skeptical — but it’s clear AI is a powerful tool for the industry when used correctly. That’s what Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, told Telecompetitor in a recent interview.
When asked if she is skeptical or bullish about AI, Bloomfield said, “I generally come down on the bullish side. I think there are so many interesting efficiencies that AI can bring.”
Bloomfield said increasing efficiency is critical for rural broadband providers, and AI can play a role in everything from network design to customer service. Bloomfield touched on demand forecasting, terrain planning, and route determination, and said she was particularly interested in how providers are using AI for troubleshooting, cybersecurity, and customer experience.
“I talked with a number of CEOs last year, and [troubleshooting] was one of the top areas where they were using AI. The ability for field techs to take a photo out in the field when something’s gone wonky, load that photo into an AI tool, and get remediation instructions is really interesting,” she said.
Bloomfield said she foresees many rural broadband providers using AI for cybersecurity. “AI’s ability to detect anomalies in real time can be an early warning system. Most NTCA member companies don’t have staff that monitor 24/7. If you’ve got something suspicious going over your network, your IT person can be notified. The ability to flag some of those things earlier will be a really effective tool; on the cybersecurity front, you can’t have too many tools.”
One provider, Bloomfield said, trained its AI model to use the language and idioms of its southern rural community. “These are customers who are used to going into the office and paying their phone bills or broadband bills in person,” she said.
“So how do you get that customer base comfortable with [the idea of] talking to a chatbot? Well, if the chatbot is talking to you the way the person who took your check at the window talks to you, [that’s an example of] combining the tool with the culture.”
Advances in AI and rural broadband
Bloomfield said that, about two years ago, she would ask gatherings of industry professionals how many were using AI, and only a few hands would go up. But at a similar recent gathering, she asked the same question, “and probably 70% of the hands went up. I think there’s been a rapid adoption in different parts of people’s businesses.”
NTCA is responding to the need for AI tools and training with its upcoming January 30 AI Summit, an opportunity for rural broadband employees to discuss the AI strategies and tactics they’ve tried, and what is working. “The thing I’ve always loved about this industry is how folks share best practices,” Bloomfield said, “and how people are willing to learn from one another.”
Bloomfield hopes NTCA’s AI Summit will help broadband providers consider AI, regardless of their current viewpoints. Some providers, she said, are wary of AI because their customers have some distrust for it, while others think it’s “the best thing since sliced bread.” A third category of providers has what Bloomfield called “enthusiastic confusion: people are trying to figure out what this tool looks like and how to use it.”
“The beauty of rural providers is that you don’t go through 72 hoops and bureaucratic challenges; you can move pretty quickly if you decide to adopt something,” Bloomfield said. “I’m excited to have people share peer-to-peer, because, in my experience, that’s always been some of the best learning members do.”
Bloomfield said that, so far, more than 500 rural broadband employees have signed up to attend the virtual summit.
The importance of AI policies for rural broadband providers
Early in the interview, Bloomfield stressed the importance of AI policies for rural providers. “One of the things we think a lot about is: Do folks have an AI policy? Give your staff the tools, but make sure you’ve got guardrails around those tools so somebody isn’t inclined to put in their financials and say, ‘Give me the most effective way to design my 2027 budget.’”
Bloomfield said she encourages providers to put AI policies in place for their teams, and took her own advice: “We worked really hard at NTCA to make sure we had a policy, to make sure staff knew what the rules of the road are — here are things you can do, here are ways you can use it. But don’t share proprietary information; please be smart about it.”
This is the first article in a four-part series of interviews with Shirley Bloomfield, who will retire from her position with NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association in March. The other three articles are:
