It’s the time of the year for New Year’s resolutions, and I asked some of my ISP clients if they are carrying unfinished tasks into the new year. Some of my clients laughed and told me that some of these tasks have been on their list for years.

Some of the wish list ‘resolutions’ I heard for 2026 included:

Integrate Records. Several ISPs said their customer and mapping records are less than ideal. They knew what a fully integrated records system should look like, where every record associated with a given customer is available at the fingertips of staff. They also want a system where the details of the physical network are integrated with customer records to be able to quickly identify where to look when there are outages or troubles. They also want a system where every new customer event and any new construction are easily and automatically integrated into existing records.

Reduce Truck Rolls. Several ISPS said they want to find ways to reduce truck rolls. They send trucks too many times when a problem could have been handled remotely. Conversely, they want to provide great customer service, and they want to send trucks when needed. In a competitive environment, they aren’t comfortable with charging customers for unneeded truck rolls.

Should They Raise Rates? Several ISPs are struggling with the idea of raising rates. They see that big ISPs are still raising rates. They are experiencing higher costs and know they should raise rates, but are still hesitant to do so.

Understand Profitability Better. Related to the question of raising rates, ISPs told me they would like to understand the factors that most impact their profitability. Are there expenses or functions they can drop that will save money? ISPs said their accounting system is a good way to measure monthly margins, but that they don’t get enough detail to fully understand the costs of operating the business.

Benefits Getting Too Expensive. Some ISPs say they are troubled by seeing the cost of health insurance and other benefits growing far faster than other costs. They struggle with what to do about it, and don’t want to cut benefits, but are worried about the cost trend.

Improve Sales to Businesses. Several ISPs told me that they have never felt fully comfortable selling to businesses in the same way that they sell residential broadband.

Dealing with Churn. Several ISPs said they struggle with finding a solution for dealing with churn. Too many times, a customer will move, and they don’t reach the new tenants until it’s too late.

Clear Out Inventory. A few ISPs laughed and told me that their accountants want them to clean out accumulated inventory, but that they dread the paperwork that comes with trying to quantify the mass of old electronics and construction materials that are no longer useful.

If you are an ISP, what unfinished tasks or goals are on your list?