Single Mode Group

Precision consulting for operators who can't afford signal loss.

A clear path. A clear standard. A clear outcome.
Telecom operations. Executive leadership. One firm built to deliver both.

Our practices Start a conversation

"Must reads for the industry."

NTCA and WTA member — on Rick Darsey's LinkedIn content

What we believe

The best consulting comes from people who have actually done the work.

In fiber optics, singlemode transmission carries a single precise signal over long distances without degradation. No noise. No dispersion. Just clarity from origin to destination. That is the standard Single Mode Group holds itself to. Rural broadband is not a technology problem. It is an operations, regulatory, and capital problem. And most leaders are navigating it without the senior depth the moment demands.

25+ Years in operations

200,000+ Subscribers served

3 Regional Networks

2 National Networks

What we do

Two practices. One standard.

Whether you are navigating a regulatory proceeding, evaluating a technology investment, or ready to develop leadership with real precision — Single Mode Group brings the same standard to both.

Telecom Operations Practice

Operations, infrastructure, and regulatory strategy — from the operator seat.

Single Mode Group works with rural ILECs, cooperative carriers, PE-backed ISPs, and municipalities entering the broadband space. Engagements are built around real operational problems — not frameworks assembled from the outside.

"Four FCC proceedings are being evaluated independently. Their impact on rural operators is simultaneous and compounding."

Fractional COO services
Strategic advisory retainers
BEAD compliance and readiness
FCC regulatory strategy
Network architecture and technology selection
Enhanced A-CAM and USF compliance
PE-backed ISP advisory

Mindset and Leadership

Structured leadership development focused on improving how teams function.

Most executives are running on borrowed clarity. They are executing against goals they inherited, leading from identities they never chose, and measuring success by standards they never examined.

"Broadband is becoming a commodity. Experience, support, and community presence are the differentiators that remain."

1:1 executive coaching
Group leadership cohorts
Speaking and workshops
Journey based operational approach

From the field

Written from the operator seat.

Rick Darsey publishes on rural broadband operations, FCC regulatory policy, and leadership — with a following across NTCA, WTA, and the broader telecom operator community.

"Broadband does not equal communications infrastructure. The industry keeps conflating the two and rural operators pay the price."

Regulatory Policy

"The $4.5 billion High Cost program exists because connectivity without reliability is not universal service."

FCC High Cost Reform

"BEAD and Enhanced A-CAM build obligations are running concurrently. The funding assumptions underneath them are not."

BEAD and E-ACAM

"Small operators can't hire deep benches. The generalist who understands the full stack is the most valuable person in the building."

Operations and Leadership

"Starlink delivers connectivity. It does not deliver carrier-grade voice, Metro Ethernet, private VLAN, or E911 compliance. Those are not the same thing."

Infrastructure and Policy

"Rural broadband is not a technology problem. It is an operations, regulatory, and capital problem."

Telecom Operations

From the field.

Regulatory Policy

The Day Starlink's Mission Changed

Leadership

Reading the Room

Regulatory Policy

The Sum of the Parts: Are Four FCC Proceedings Adding Up to Something Nobody Planned?

All articles →

Who we are

A two-person deployable executive team.

Single Mode Group is led by Rick and Becky Darsey — operators and advisors with combined expertise spanning broadband infrastructure, FCC regulatory affairs, customer experience strategy, and executive leadership development.

Founder and Managing Principal

Rick Darsey

Twenty-five years building, running, and fixing communications infrastructure across rural ILECs, national CLECs, and municipal networks. Currently COO of Pelican Broadband, a family-owned rural carrier serving North Louisiana. Active on NTCA Government Affairs and WTA Policy and Planning councils.

FCC Wireline Competition Bureau IP Transition Workshop panelist, July 2026
VP Network Operations, Nitel
Director Network Operations, Birch Communications
Senior Network Engineer, City of Fort Collins
Calix, Cisco, Metaswitch platform expertise
Author, The Human Search for Meaning

Upcoming appearance

Panelist, FCC Wireline Competition Bureau IP Transition Workshop, July 15-16, 2026. Covering bill-and-keep transition guardrails and legacy high-cost mechanism updates.

Co-Founder, Regulatory and Customer Experience

Becky Darsey

Deep expertise in FCC regulatory affairs, customer experience strategy, and communications operations. Director of Regulatory and Customer Experience at Pelican Broadband, with a practitioner's understanding of how regulatory decisions translate to operational reality at the carrier level.

FCC regulatory compliance and filings
Customer experience strategy and design
Rural carrier operations
Visual communications and design

Get in touch

Start with a conversation.

Whether you are navigating a regulatory proceeding, evaluating a technology investment, or ready to develop leadership with real precision — Single Mode Group would like to hear from you.

rdarsey@singlemodegroup.com