Contact: Lauren Gaydos, 703-351-2015
Arlington, Va., (January 11, 2022)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield congratulating Alan Davidson on his confirmation by the U.S. Senate to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA):
“NTIA will play a critical role over the next several years in bridging the digital divide as it implements the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and other recently created broadband-focused programs. On behalf of NTCA’s members, who are both commercially and cooperatively owned and based in the communities they serve, I congratulate Alan Davidson on his confirmation to lead NTIA. We are thrilled to have a leader with deep experience in telecom and broadband policy issues at the helm of this important agency as NTIA leads the way in deploying broadband across the country. NTCA’s members have been at the forefront of bringing high-speed connectivity to the farthest corners of rural America, and we look forward to working with Davidson and NTIA as well as other federal and state partners to get the job done and reach all Americans.”
As NTIA has begun developing the BEAD Program, NTCA has teamed up with the Fiber Broadband Association to assist state governments in implementing the program with a new Broadband Infrastructure Playbook. In addition, NTCA is working with ACA Connects to provide a BEAD State/Territory Implementation Tracker for members.
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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.