June 22, 2026—America’s Communications Association (ACA Connects) released a special edition of Independent Communications News (ICN) today to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday.
This special edition shares the stories of more than a dozen of America’s independent and rural broadband providers that are key pillars to their communities and embody the American values that have defined centuries of innovation, hard work, and ingenuity.
In ICN, Grant Spellmeyer, President and CEO of America’s Communications Association, writes, “As we celebrate 250 years of American independence, we celebrate a long history of ingenuity in communications and the entrepreneurs who made it possible. It is their commitment to innovation that has helped define how our nation lives, works, and grows. From a single cable carrying the first signals to today’s vast, high-speed networks, members of America’s Communications Association represent the backbone of our way of life. For generations, they have connected families, powered businesses, expanded access to information, and opened doors to opportunity in every corner of this country—from rolling fields and rugged mountains to small towns and wide-open countryside to large cities and skyscrapers.”
Featured ACA Connects member companies include:
- Armstrong, celebrating 80 years and four generations of family leadership
- Astound, BEAM Broadband, Breezeline, Cable One, Shentel, and i3 Broadband highlighting their deep commitment to the people and communities they serve
- Buckeye Broadband and Hawaiian Telcom, reflecting on their respective founders’ belief in the enduring promise of the American Dream
- GCI, detailing the unique challenges of connecting America’s Last Frontier
- Liberty Puerto Rico, celebrating its close connection to America
- Mediacom, remembering the legacy of Rocco B. Commisso
- Socket Fiber, delivering championship-level speed for college sports
- TDS, supporting our military heroes and veterans
America’s Communications Association Chairman Patty Boyers also gives her must-read unique perspective as a mother of an active-duty soldier and what is possible only in the Land of the Free.
To read the full magazine, visit ACAConnects.org/ICN.
ACA Connects will continue its celebration of America’s 250th Birthday at The Independent Show at Walt Disney World, Florida, July 26-29. Printed copies of Independent Communications News will be available on the show floor.
America’s Communications Association (ACA Connects) is a trade organization representing approximately 500 small and medium-sized, independent companies that provide high-speed internet, video, phone, and mobile services covering 29 million households. ACA Connects members operate in every state, providing advanced communications to connect homes, companies, main street, schools, hospitals and more. America’s economic prosperity in smaller communities and rural areas depends on the growth and success of independent operators, who believe a connected nation is a prosperous nation. For more information, visit www.acaconnects.org.