For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Withers, 703-351-2087, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (September 13, 2016)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield after a speech by FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai in which he proposed steps Congress and the FCC should take to promote the deployment of gigabit broadband service in low-income, rural communities.
In a speech at an Ohio startup incubator, Pai pushed for greater private sector investment in broadband technologies and changes to public policies, including introducing new tax incentives and streamlining local and state project reviews, to create new Gigabit Opportunity Zones.
“NTCA is always eager for constructive conversations and creative thinking about ways we can deploy and sustain broadband in rural America,” said Bloomfield. “We are grateful to Commissioner Pai for his efforts to jump-start this discussion with specific ideas and for placing a spotlight on the fact that more public and private resources are needed to address and overcome our nation’s rural broadband challenges. NTCA looks forward to further discussions about these kinds of ideas and to working with Congress and the FCC to achieve sustainable universal broadband access.”
###
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing more than 800 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.