For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Wismer, 703-351-2015, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (January 16, 2018)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield regarding a FCC proposal aimed at promoting rural broadband deployment:
“The high-cost Universal Service Fund (USF) is foundational to any effort to promote and sustain rural broadband in the United States. It enables the business case for network investment and the delivery of quality services at affordable rates for millions of rural Americans. In recent years, insufficient support has undermined the effectiveness of the USF programs, leading network investments to be delayed or denied and resulting in higher rates and lower broadband speeds for rural consumers. Today’s proposal from Chairman Pai represents an important, long-needed step to put the USF programs back on track toward achievement of the statutory goals of universal service.
“NTCA is deeply grateful to Chairman Pai for his continuing engagement with rural consumers and providers, and for his commitment to rural America as reflected in today’s announcement. We look forward to working with the Chairman and his fellow FCC commissioners to ensure that a sufficient and predictable high-cost USF mechanism delivers more effectively on the promise of universal service for the benefit of all Americans.”
Chairman Pai’s announcement is available online. Concerns with respect to the insufficiency of USF support have long been NTCA’s top public policy priority, underscored by a June 2017 survey of NTCA’s membership detailing the impacts of the USF budget cuts on the ability of rural providers to serve their customers. The survey results are available online.
###
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 it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year.