For Immediate Release
Contact: Hillary Crowder, 703-351-2086, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (March 23, 2015)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield in response to announcements made by the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding broadband deployment initiatives:
“NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association welcomes a continued public policy focus on the importance of broadband. NTCA is delighted in particular to see that all three infrastructure projects financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be built by association members, and congratulates those members as they continue the hard work of deploying and sustaining rural broadband. As NTCA has highlighted time and again, small telcos have a proven track record in overcoming communications challenges in rural areas, and their efforts in conjunction with USDA backing are the embodiment of precisely the kinds of public-private partnerships that our nation should be leveraging to tackle such challenges in the future.
“Rather than casting about for ‘the next big thing’ or launching new unproven initiatives from whole cloth, we should be looking to build upon what has worked in the past to deploy and then sustain rural broadband. The best model for successful public-private partnerships—in fact, the only model that has had widespread success to date—involves the efforts of small, local carriers committed to their communities that leverage a mix of public and private financing to build networks and then make efficient use of universal service support to ensure that services remain affordable and of high-quality on those networks. NTCA hopes that policymakers will continue to take note of these successes and find ways to build upon and sustain them.”
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 900 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. NTCA advocates on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas, and it provides training and development; publications and industry events; and an array of employee benefit programs. In an era of exploding technology, deregulation and marketplace competition, NTCA’s members are leading the IP evolution for rural consumers, delivering technologies that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development and commerce, education, health care, government services, security and smart energy use. Visit us at www.ntca.org.