For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Wismer, 703-351-2015, kwismer@ntca.org
Arlington, Va. (October 11, 2017)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield in response to the action taken by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology today to reauthorize the FCC, which included language to address the ongoing rural call completion epidemic:
“NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association thanks the subcommittee for extending the Universal Service Fund Antideficiency Act exemption and its leadership on process reform measures like improving small business participation in FCC proceedings. We also appreciate the subcommittee reiterating its support for the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2016. The House and Senate have each previously passed identical call completion bills originating in each chamber this session, and the inclusion of the bill language in today’s markup reinforces the subcommittee’s commitment to tackling this persistent issue. We encourage Congress to take the final steps necessary to enact the call completion provisions into law and move closer toward resolution of this long-standing issue for rural consumers.”
###
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 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 transformative technological advancements, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks 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, e-commerce, health care, agriculture, and education and contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.