Contact: Lauren Gaydos, 703-351-2015
Arlington, Va., (May 10, 2022)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association issued the following statement on the FCC’s waiver of the Universal Service Fund budget control mechanism for 12 months beginning July 1, 2022:
“Small, community-based providers across rural America rely on universal service support to build and sustain robust communications networks,” said Michael Romano, NTCA’s senior vice president for industry affairs and business development. “As we work to achieve a national goal of connecting all Americans and keeping them connected at more affordable rates, now is not the time to cut back on the support necessary to do so. On behalf of NTCA’s members and the communities they serve, I thank Chairwoman Rosenworcel, Commissioners Carr, Starks, and Simington, and the commission’s hard-working staff for acting promptly in today’s order, which will allow rural broadband providers to keep their focus on deploying networks and delivering services rather than figuring out where to cut back investments and operations in the face of a significant budget cut. We look forward to continuing to work with the commission to stabilize the USF programs and reorient them for their fundamental mission of ensuring voice and broadband services are reasonably comparable in price and quality in rural and urban areas alike.”
###
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.