For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Wismer, 703-351-2015, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (May 17, 2018)— Shirley Bloomfield, chief executive officer of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, testified today before the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands during a legislative hearing on federal land bills. The following is excerpted from Bloomfield’s written testimony:
“After the initial business case can be made for rural broadband, we come to the next significant challenge – the barriers to deployment itself. This is where the questions and legislation presented in today’s hearing become so important, helping to reduce responsibly and thoughtfully the costs and time associated with deployment and allowing providers to get back to the business of building broadband networks in rural America.
“Due in part to the leadership of this subcommittee, small, rural broadband providers like those in NTCA’s membership have made great strides in reducing the digital divide in rural America. But the job is far from done. The Rural Broadband Efficiency Act of 2018 (H.R. 4824) under consideration today would represent a welcome, sensible step forward in promoting broadband deployment and addressing challenges rural carriers face in planning for and building broadband in rural America. Together with a sufficient [universal service] program, and in coordination with other broadband proposals in Congress and across our federal agencies that recognize the importance of broadband to rural communities, we believe proposals such as this bill can help us make great collective progress on tackling our nation’s broadband challenges.”
The full text of the submitted written testimony is available online.
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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 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. Visit us at www.ntca.org.