For Immediate Release
Contact: Lauren Gaydos, 703-351-2015, [email protected]
Arlington, Va., (Jan. 19, 2021)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association thanked members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate for calling on the FCC to vet thoroughly winning bidders of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) round one auction to ensure that rural Americans receive the services promised by those bidders.
The letter, led by U.S. Reps. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and signed by 157 members of the House and Senate, urges the commission to conduct a stringent review of the technical, managerial, financial and operational capabilities of winning bidders before distributing universal service funds.
“With the bidding portion of the RDOF round one auction now complete, the real work is only just beginning to ensure that broadband is delivered as promised to millions of rural Americans,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield. “There is far too much money at stake and far too many consumers on hold to gamble on confidential promises about unproven service capabilities that might only be found to fall short years from now. The real success of this effort will be defined not by the auction results themselves but by the actual delivery of robust and reliable broadband to rural consumers.
“NTCA thanks all of the members of Congress who recognize the need for greater transparency and accountability as the FCC conducts the due diligence necessary to declare this auction a true success. We are particularly grateful to Reps. Clyburn and Walberg and Sens. Thune and Klobuchar for their leadership in this effort and for their steadfast commitment to ensuring rural Americans receive the services as promised by these mechanisms.”
Since RDOF was announced, NTCA has repeatedly advocated for transparency and accountability throughout the process.
A final copy of the bicameral, bipartisan letter to the FCC can be found 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 innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities 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.