For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Withers, 703-351-2087, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (February 7, 2019)—Michael Romano, senior vice president of industry affairs and business development for NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, testified today before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access during the hearing, “Exploring Challenges and Opportunities Faced by Underserved Businesses in the 21st Century.” The following is excerpted from Romano’s written testimony:
“Robust broadband must be available, affordable, and sustainable for rural small businesses and
underserved populations to realize the economic, healthcare, education, and public safety benefits that advanced connectivity offers.
“The RUS and the High-Cost USF programs play important, but complementary rather than
redundant, roles in promoting the deployment and sustainability of broadband infrastructure in
rural America. Promoting greater access to capital through strong, well-tested RUS loan and grant programs, ensuring sufficient funding of USF to make the business case for use of private and/or borrowed capital in rural areas, and demanding continued coordination between essential federal programs that aim to promote broadband access in rural America are all critical pieces of a comprehensive and thoughtful national rural broadband strategy.”
The full text of the submitted written testimony is available online.