Single Mode Group
A clear path. A clear standard. A clear outcome.Telecom operations. Executive leadership. One firm built to deliver both.
"Must reads for the industry."
What we believe
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.
What we do
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
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."
Mindset and Leadership
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."
From the field
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
Latest articles
Leadership
Looking at the similarities I have found while painting and reviewing regulations
All articles →
Who we are
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
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.
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
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.
Get in touch
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.