COMMUNITY CONNECTION

As America marked 250 years, our story was on the national stage as part of the America 250 Campaign. Learn more.

Congratulations to the people of Kirwin, Kansas!

In partnership with stakeholders, Nex-Tech now provides fiber broadband to the City of Kirwin and Camp Hansen. Learn more here.

Investing Today Compounds in Value Tomorrow

Hello friends and stakeholders of Nex-Tech,

I've been thinking about seeds lately. To the untrained eye, they are small, unremarkable, inedible, and seemingly useless. But inside that seed lies a crop, perhaps a tree, byproducts, resources, and values in many forms. Simply put, a seed carries in itself enormous potential. But for those to manifest fully, it needs the right soil, water, sunlight, humidity, fertilizer, etc. That, I think, is the task of all of us.

I believe that just like seeds, so is the work we are all engaged in. It starts in the most unglamorous way: effort is put in, it doesn't align, setbacks creep in, things look messy, you don't have it all figured out, fear and doubts arise, etc.

But when you are clear-eyed to tend the seed by sustaining the initiative and subjecting it all to the purifying power of time, bit by bit, day by day, unnoticeably, it all begins to come together. That project, initiative, grant, loan, donation, partnership, or investment into the future that appears uncertain begins to yield returns. But not just any return - compounding returns - returns that are well beyond what you put in. By that I mean it creates the future, expands opportunity, and opens the door of possibility, such that others can also believe that, yes, it can be done. Our investment today will set off a chain of events tomorrow that we may not even imagine today.

So I want to challenge you. Roll with the punches. Hold the line. Stay the course. Your investment today will compound in value tomorrow.

Below, you'll find examples of how our team is investing toward the future we want to see for the people we serve.

  
Friday Otuya, Nex-Tech 

What is inside

New Business Highlight 

Elevate Chiropractic, Plainville 

Projects, Grants & Giving Back

Nex-Tech Partners with Co-Bank 

Youth Development Updates

Impact Stats

Smart Communities

Sights of Western Kansas: Monarch of the Plains

Public Sector Engagement

Videos Spotlight

Loan & Grant Deadlines

• Business Loans (September Funding Cycle) -  August 30, 2026

• $5,000 FRS Community Grant: August 2026

• Sponsorships & Donations: Rolling Deadline. Apply here.

New Business Highlight

Elevate Performance and Chiropractic, Plainville, KS

Congratulations to Kolt Newell from Damar on the launch of his new clinic! 

Learn more here.

Check out Elevate's Facebook page here and website. 

Something great is coming to Lenora!

Keep an eye out for Amber and Shannon's story on our news page in September!

Check out their Facebook page.

R Mill Iron Cookhouse,

Lenora KS

Projects, Grants & Giving Back

In February, we teamed up with CoBank to support the youth in northwest Kansas with a $30,000 donation. Learn more here.

Click logos below to check out ventures we are invested in.

2025 Investment Facts

• 6 loans approved for new businesses
• 20+ advisory meetings with 10+ entrepreneurs and business stakeholders
• $300k+ invested

• 15+ jobs created

• 5,000+ people served & supported

• 2 interns + 1 volunteer engaged

Small Business Webinars

Nex-Tech helps small businesses grow and succeed. Check out resources that can help your business.

“Nex-Tech made it possible for me to pursue a dream: providing tailored healthcare to my community. The loan helped me obtain the essentials required for my business to operate and provide the level of services I currently offer. The entire process was seamless and I felt very supported from start to finish. I would highly recommend any new entrepreneurs to work with Nex-Tech!”

Brittany Shields

Owner of Empower Health Colby, KS

I enjoy working with interns through Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth (NGRUFY). NGRUFY provides internship, entrepreneurship, and career opportunities in western Kansas.

Spring 2026 - Marley Little,  Junior at Fort Hays State University

Summer 2026 - Nikki Li, a master's student at Fort Hays State University

We make life better by providing world-class technology.

But how do we do it?

Our blogs provide context and insight into how we change lives.

• Former Intern Chesney writes about her transition from an intern to a full-time employee.
  > What the Agency Side Actually Teaches You - Nex-Tech 
  
  

• Intern Nikki Li describes her first glimpse into Nex-Tech.
  > My First Week at Nex-Tech
  
  

• Intern Marley Little reflects and shares how Nex-Tech supports students like her at FHSU.
  > How Nex-Tech Powers Learning at FHSU High School’s Technology
  
  

• Dauda Bangura, a recent graduate of FHSU, shared his experience after a day of engagement in rural Kansas.
  > My Volunteer Experience with Nex-Tech 
  
  

• Marketing Specialist Gracie Jessup writes about Nex-Tech's impact on rural America and the America 250 Campaign.
  > Read more here
  
  

• Accounting Supervisor Melissa Lindenman reflects on the impact of community involvement and how the Nex-Tech Way empowers employees to grow, serve, and make a lasting difference.
  > Read the piece

2026 Annual Meeting
In May, we had our annual meeting in Lenora, where we provided updates on how we continue to make life better for our customers and communities. Learn More.

Smart Rural Community Showcase

Every town or city we serve with fiber broadband is a smart rural community. This means Nex-Tech enables better, quicker, faster, and improved ways of life with our technological solutions.  

Does your town/city have Nex-Tech fiber broadband for residents?

Would you like a free Nex-Tech sign and certificate to advertise this?

If the answer is 'Yes', complete this form to request a Smart Rural Community Sign and Smart Rural Community Certificate.

Request for Smart Rural Sign & Certificate

The Great Bend Tribune published a story about this initiative.
Read here.

Did you know?

Nex-Tech serves the following community
institutions in our footprint with fiber broadband:

Rural Insights provides a bird’s eye view of Nex-Tech's impact on the state of Kansas and beyond. Click the image above to read the 2025 edition.

The future is digital. Don’t be left behind!

The Nex-Tech Academy for Digital Skills is available to our communities. Are you interested in putting together a training for your group or community?

Submit your request here.

Earlier this year, we partnered with stakeholders in Phillips County, KS, and facilitated an afternoon of learning about AI and Small Business.

We are now into robots!

To help businesses in rural communities manage their costs of operations, we have rolled out a range of robotic services. Learn more here.

Sites of Western Kansas

Fort Hays State Historic Site

By Friday Otuya

At 9:45pm, July 4th, 2026, I had driven up to the old Fort Hays, pulled up by dozens of cars, grabbed the hands of my boys and wife, and stood in front of the Monarch of the Plains.

As the fireworks went off, I reflected on the history of the nation, and of this frontier we now call Kansas. I learned that the sculpture was dedicated on July 4, 1967, exactly 59 years to the day. "The passage of time has changed a lot of things. But some things should remain unchanged: duty, honor, country", I thought. 

Nex-Tech plays a small part in preserving and sharing this history. We provide technology to the Fort Hays State Historic Site, ensuring connectivity for the site's operations and for the thousands of people who visit every year. 

Here's a piece on how Nex-Tech bridges the digital divide with free wi-fi hotspots. 

- Friday Otuya

Sen. Mike Fagg

Rep. Ken Rahjes

In March, Communication Coalition of Kansas (CCK) members had a chance to meet with FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty and members of Senator Moran's staff in Wamego, KS.  The Director of the Kansas Office of Broadband Development, Bill Abston, and the new Director of Public Affairs for KOBD, Benjamin Stanton, attended as well. The group of executives explained the successes and challenges facing rural broadband and how critical the Universal Service Fund (USF) is to continuing to provide service to rural Kansans.

Our CEO, Jimmy Todd, explained that “the reality is everything runs on that network: public safety, health care, education, normal commerce.  If we don't make those investments, then the network breaks, and because of that we have to continue to make those investments.  It's critical for high-cost rural areas.”

Commissioner Trusty promised to take the stories from Kansas back to D.C. and continue to work on USF reform.

Friday Otuya joined peers at the National Rural Economic Developers Association for our annual Fly-In to engage stakeholders on rural issues.

Friday also joined the group for the inaugural NREDA podcast to discuss what we do in the rural issues committee.

Listen to Podcast | Read about the NREDA Rural Issues Committee

Earlier this year, Friday Otuya reconnected with Lt. Governor Toland and engaged him on how Nex-Tech continues to make life better for Kansans through world-class technology. 

Policy Brief 

Rural broadband's money is moving again, but not the way anyone promised.

Kansas is finding out what "technology-neutral" really means: its final BEAD award landed at $166.6 million, a 63% cut from the original $451 million, with fixed wireless now claiming 67% of the buildout and fiber down to 30%.

Meanwhile, the Universal Service Fund is being assessed at almost 40% and facing a fresh court challenge. ReConnect, one of the last federal grant options outside BEAD, has been zeroed out and revived twice in the past twelve months with no resolution. And two years after ACP ended, 23 million households are still without the affordability support that disappeared with it, and Kansas hasn't stepped in to replace it.

Multiple fronts, still moving and unresolved, heading into the second half of 2026. Full breakdown inside here.

- We completed our Clayton, Herndon, & Kirwin projects with the Kansas Broadband Office, bringing connectivity to some of the most remote towns in the state. Learn more here.

- Last year, Senator Roger Marshall visited Nex-Tech’s successful loan clients. Learn more.

Broadband and BBQ Forum 2026

In 2024, we hosted the first Broadband and BBQ Forum in Hays, KS, bringing together legislators and stakeholders to emphasize the place of world-class broadband in development. We are hosting another forum again. This time in Salina, KS.

Attendance is by invitation.

Marking 75-Years of Evolution at Nex-Tech

Engagement with Great Bend City Council - February 2026

Thanks for reading! Now get in touch.

Just hit reply – I'd love to hear from you!

Friday Otuya 

Community Engagement Specialist 

785-639-8698 / econdevo@nex-tech.com