FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Hillary Smith, (703) 351-2086
Tanya Sullivan, (703) 772-2235
Arlington, Va. (June 1, 2016)—The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) and NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association submitted joint comments May 31 to the FCC regarding a gap in the voluntary Wireless Resiliency Cooperative Framework proposed by wireless providers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and U.S. Cellular, together with CTIA. The proposed framework seeks to enhance coordination and communication to advance wireless service continuity and information sharing during and after emergencies and disasters.
NTCA and RWA released the following statements today further expressing concerns about a gap in the proposed framework that could limit its effectiveness in rural areas:
“RWA is concerned that the lack of true bilateral roaming between small and large carriers will undermine this initiative. Nationwide providers’ practice of limiting their customers’ access to rural providers’ networks in some areas ensures that those public safety users or retail customers will not be able to roam on a rural carrier’s network in an emergency,” said RWA General Counsel Carri Bennet. “The nationwide carriers limit such access for commercial reasons, but this practice creates holes in public safety communications and network resiliency.”
“The ongoing policy debate about commercial bilateral roaming agreements between compatible carriers during non-emergency times should not interfere with functional bilateral roaming arrangements that are essential to ensure that mobile consumers, including public safety and critical infrastructure personnel, are able to rely on wireless services when a disaster hits and there is only one network up and running. The fact that such arrangements are not yet in place in many rural areas because larger providers do not find them in their commercial interest puts the value proposition of the framework at risk in rural America,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield.
The full text of the joint comments is available online.
About NTCA
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.
About RWA
RWA is a trade association representing rural wireless carriers who each serve fewer than 100,000 subscribers. RWA’s members have joined together to speed delivery of new, efficient, and innovative telecommunications technologies to remote and underserved communities. www.ruralwireless.org.