For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Wismer, 703-351-2015, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (January 8, 2018)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield regarding the report released today by the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity:
“NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is excited that the Rural Prosperity Task Force report emphasizes the foundational significance of connectivity in improving the economic well-being and quality of life in rural America. I am deeply grateful to have received an invitation to hear remarks by the President and Secretary of Agriculture in-person today in the wake of the report’s presentation, and NTCA is eager to assist in pursuing the report recommendations and achieving the vision of universal service articulated—to ensure the adoption of policies that will promote and sustain robust and affordable rural broadband access for the benefit of consumers, businesses, and communities throughout America, rural and urban alike.”
The Rural Prosperity Task Force was established by executive order in April 2017 to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes to promote the over-all quality of life in rural America. The task force organized recommendations into five categories, anchored by the importance of having access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. The full Rural Prosperity Task Force report is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) here.
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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.