For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Withers, (703) 351-2087, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (May 2, 2017)— NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today thanked members of the House of Representatives for joining Rep. Kevin Cramer (R–N.D.) in calling on the FCC to address the budget shortfalls in the Universal Service Fund (USF) High-Cost program that are hindering rural broadband access and deployment.
The USF High-Cost program plays an essential role in helping rural areas experience the benefits of robust broadband by supporting and sustaining networks in areas that are sparsely populated and costly to serve. A letter signed by Rep. Cramer and 101 other House members encourages the FCC “to ensure sufficient resources are available to enable the USF mechanisms to work as designed—that is, to give rural Americans the opportunity to obtain affordable broadband and to advance broadband deployment in high-cost rural areas—along with any other program changes that may help achieve this goal.”
“NTCA is thankful for the leadership shown by Congressman Cramer, his fellow House Rural Broadband Caucus co-chairs Reps. Pocan, Latta, Loebsack, Kinzinger, and Welch, and their colleagues in highlighting how an insufficient USF High Cost budget undermines the statutory mission of universal service and the broadband availability and affordability goals of the USF reforms adopted by the FCC last year,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield. “We are grateful that so many members of Congress remain focused on these issues and committed to working toward a system that will ensure telecom services and rates for rural Americans are reasonably comparable to those enjoyed by their urban counterparts.”
Text of the Congressional letter is available from Rep. Cramer.
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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 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.