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NAICS 5171Industry group0.1% of all approvals
SBA loans for wired and wireless telecommunications (except satellite)
7(a) and 504 approvals to businesses SBA classifies under NAICS 5171, with the lenders and states behind them.
SBA approvals by fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so FY2025 is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. *FY2026 is open: approvals to 30 Jun 2026 only.
Businesses classified under NAICS 5171, wired and wireless telecommunications (except satellite), received 195 SBA loan approvals worth $131M in FY2021 to FY2025 (181 7(a), 14 504).
That is 0.1% of all approvals.
In FY2025 there were 71 approvals, up 25% on FY2024. The median 7(a) approval was $200K, against $190K for all industries, and 2.1% of approvals went to franchise businesses.
Of 7(a) loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 5.2% as charged off, below the 6.6% for all industries.
Loan status is as recorded by SBA at the data date; charge-off rates are computed on loans approved at least five fiscal years ago. Jobs supported are self-reported estimates from the SBA loan application, which SBA does not review, audit or validate. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Volume by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | 7(a) approvals | 7(a) dollars | Median 7(a) | 504 approvals | 504 dollars | All approvals | Jobs supported, as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026* | 36 | $18.7M | $263K | 1 | — | 37 | 308 |
| FY2025 | 66 | $33.2M | $150K | 5 | $3.2M | 71 | 620 |
| FY2024 | 56 | $47.7M | $206K | 1 | — | 57 | 807 |
| FY2023 | 39 | $18.5M | $175K | 7 | $2.8M | 46 | 523 |
| FY2022 | 18 | $22.6M | $250K | 1 | — | 19 | 242 |
| FY2021 | 2 | — | — | 0 | — | 2 | 14 |
| FY2020 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| FY2019 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| FY2018 | 1 | — | — | 0 | — | 1 | 1 |
| FY2017 | 6 | $2.2M | $150K | 1 | — | 7 | 92 |
| FY2016 | 17 | $7.4M | $200K | 2 | — | 19 | 116 |
SBA records the NAICS code in force when a loan was approved. The 2022 NAICS revision renumbered parts of retail trade and information, so some lines of business appear under one code before FY2023 and another after. FY2016–FY2020 approvals under this code: 27.
Lenders most active in this industry
By number of approvals, FY2021–FY2025; 69 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 20 | $4.3M | 10.3% | |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 12 | $30.7M | 6.2% | |
| 3 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 12 | $1.3M | 6.2% | |
| 4 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 11 | $8.9M | 5.6% | |
| 5 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 9 | $6.9M | 4.6% | |
| 6 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 8 | $5.4M | 4.1% | |
| 7 | Lendistry SBLC, LLCLos Angeles, CA | 8 | $2.3M | 4.1% | |
| 8 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 7 | $1.9M | 3.6% | |
| 9 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 7 | $1.0M | 3.6% | |
| 10 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 5 | $4.0M | 2.6% | |
| 11 | Columbia BankLake Oswego, OR | 5 | $1.9M | 2.6% | |
| 12 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 5 | $724K | 2.6% | |
| 13 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 4 | $251K | 2.1% | |
| 14 | Byline BankChicago, IL | 3 | $8.4M | 1.5% | |
| 15 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 3 | $5.2M | 1.5% | |
| 16 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 3 | $4.9M | 1.5% | |
| 17 | Wallis BankWallis, TX | 3 | $2.6M | 1.5% | |
| 18 | Choice Financial GroupFargo, ND | 3 | $2.3M | 1.5% | |
| 19 | Zions Bank, A Division ofSalt Lake City, UT | 3 | $2.1M | 1.5% | |
| 20 | NBT Bank, National AssociationNorwich, NY | 3 | $591K | 1.5% |
States
| # | State of the business | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 29 | $18.7M | 14.9% | |
| 2 | New York | 23 | $13.2M | 11.8% | |
| 3 | Texas | 19 | $11.3M | 9.7% | |
| 4 | Florida | 15 | $4.5M | 7.7% | |
| 5 | Ohio | 10 | $6.5M | 5.1% | |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 10 | $3.0M | 5.1% | |
| 7 | Colorado | 9 | $4.8M | 4.6% | |
| 8 | New Jersey | 8 | $8.4M | 4.1% | |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 7 | $5.5M | 3.6% | |
| 10 | Arizona | 6 | $6.2M | 3.1% | |
| 11 | Michigan | 5 | $7.7M | 2.6% | |
| 12 | South Carolina | 5 | $4.8M | 2.6% | |
| 13 | Washington | 5 | $667K | 2.6% | |
| 14 | Illinois | 4 | $4.5M | 2.1% | |
| 15 | Minnesota | 4 | $3.3M | 2.1% |
Franchise brands
2.1% of approvals carried a franchise code.
| # | Brand | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cricket Wireless | 1 | 0.5% | |
| 2 | Wireless Zone | 1 | 0.5% | |
| 3 | Sprint PrePaid Group | 1 | 0.5% | |
| 4 | Metro PCS Master Dealer Agreement | 1 | 0.5% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less13.8%27
- $50,001 to $150,00028.7%56
- $150,001 to $350,00023.1%45
- $350,001 to $1 million18.5%36
- $1 million to $2 million5.6%11
- Over $2 million10.3%20
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old77.4%151
- New business, 2 years or less10.3%20
- Startup, loan funds will open the business5.1%10
- Change of ownership7.2%14
Charge-offs against all industries
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | This industry, 7(a) | All 7(a) | This industry, 504 | All 504 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 206 | 639,905 | 21 | 85,591 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 32 | 79,313 | 2 | 12,514 |
| Disbursed loans | 174 | 560,592 | 19 | 73,077 |
| Paid in full | 160 | 435,813 | 14 | 35,491 |
| Charged off | 9 | 36,891 | 0 | 905 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 5 | 87,888 | 5 | 36,681 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 5.2% | 6.6% | too few loans | 1.2% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 1.4% | 2.5% | too few loans | 0.9% |
| Dollars charged off | $1.0M | $5.70bn | — | $499M |
Against all industries
| FY2021–FY2025 | NAICS 5171 | All industries |
|---|---|---|
| Median 7(a) approval | $200K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $344K | $657K |
| Average approval | $673K | $573K |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | — | 41.0 |
| Approvals to franchise businesses | 2.1% | 11.2% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.3 | 10.5 |
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans for wired and wireless telecommunications (except satellite)?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Northeast Bank (20), Live Oak Banking Company (12), TD Bank, National Association (12), Newtek Bank, National Association (11), The Huntington National Bank (9). 69 lenders had at least one.
How large are typical SBA loans for wired and wireless telecommunications (except satellite)?
The median 7(a) approval was $200K and the median 504 approval $344K; the average across both programs was $673K.
What share of SBA loans for wired and wireless telecommunications (except satellite) are charged off?
Of 7(a) loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, 5.2% are recorded as charged off, against 6.6% for all industries.
Which states have the most SBA loans for wired and wireless telecommunications (except satellite)?
California (29), New York (23), Texas (19), Florida (15), Ohio (10).
Is SBA lending for wired and wireless telecommunications (except satellite) rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 174, against 21 in the three before: rising (+729%).
About these figures
Figures are totals of the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, data through 30 Jun 2026. SBA updates the files quarterly. Counts are loan approvals, including approvals later cancelled; the five-year window is FY2021–FY2025, the five latest complete fiscal years. Charge-off rates use only loans approved in FY2010–FY2021, at least five fiscal years ago, and count disbursed loans SBA records as charged off. Loans are listed under the lender they are assigned to today. Establishment counts are from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns 2023, which leaves out most farms, government and businesses without employees. Dollar figures behind fewer than three approvals are not shown, and no borrower is named anywhere on this site.Methodology · Report an error