For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Wismer, 703-351-2015, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (March 6, 2018)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today released the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield in response to U.S. House passage of legislation to reauthorize the FCC entitled the RAY BAUM’S Act, which is named after the late Ray Baum, who dedicated his life to public service in the telecommunications field.
“NTCA applauds the bipartisan approval of legislation to reauthorize the FCC for the first time in 28 years. And it’s only fitting that this legislation would be named after Ray Baum – a man who devoted much of his life to public service and treated everyone with the utmost respect. He is sorely missed by all who knew him, but his legacy lives on through measures such as this and the many policies he helped to craft over his career. In addition to reforms aimed at addressing efficiency and transparency within the FCC and the inclusion of provisions from the Senate’s MOBILE NOW bill, the legislation also includes NTCA-supported provisions with respect to the administration of the FCC’s essential universal service programs. We are thankful for the hard work by members of the House and look forward to enactment of such legislation in the near future.”
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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.