The following are NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield’s remarks to the NTCA 2024 Legislative + Policy Conference on April 29, 2024:
The rural broadband industry has such a great success story to tell. In the face of transformative technologies, regulatory challenges and increasing competition, you have embraced that change, stayed committed and looked to close the digital divide by delivering the robust and high-quality services that you do every single day.
Your commitment to sustainable networks and affordable services is what really has made rural communities fertile ground for innovation. We’ve seen that in so many ways, and this innovation contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy every single year.
But we still clearly have a lot more to get done – a lot of networks to still deploy and deliver new services – and this is where public policy plays an important role, and why it’s so nice to see a packed room here this morning.
That role that public policy plays in building and sustaining networks in rural markets just wouldn’t otherwise be able to justify some of these investments and some of your ongoing operations and some of those stories of change that we’ve been talking about.
Having all of you here today in such high numbers really shares the importance of some of these issues.
You’re the ones who have been doing this work on the ground. We have the luxury of telling your story year-round.
Your presence here this week shows that you care about these issues – and that you aren’t going to quit on the foundation that you have built.
Washington, D.C., really needs to hear your voice if we’re going to pass the right laws and policies to get every American connected, which is what is so top of mind for people. And just as importantly, to keep those Americans connected.
We have advocated together on behalf of these important issues and rural connectivity for a really long time. We’ve seen the effectiveness of these advocacy efforts.
I think about when you were able to help turn around the worst aspects of the National Broadband Plan more than a decade ago. Some of you may be too young to remember that, but every once in a while it feels like we have this moment in time when there are some key issues that are lined up.
You have shown that you’ve been able to take these programs and been good stewards and are doing so much of the work that needs to be done.
But we also all know there’s so much more work that needs to be done right now if we’re really going to make it a commitment to connect all Americans. We can’t let policymakers forget that it’s what people do with these connections after they have them that really matters.
When it comes to reaching the unconnected, we saw the fruits of our labor pay off as Congress passed among other things the American Rescue Plan Act. And of course we have the IIJA, the infrastructure act, which has $65 billion noted for broadband both deployment as well as adoption.
These laws include really important NTCA priorities such as prioritizing robust networks that can deliver on the broadband promise for decades to come. Not just in the here and now, but in how we can make sure we are doing future-proof technology.
So, in huge thanks to your advocacy, we’ve seen billions of dollars of funding available and billions more coming online soon. This is going to make a real difference in terms of the kind of broadband that rural consumers can access.
But even as these were tremendous victories for rural America, we’re entering a really critical phase right now: implementation and execution. So, making sure that the rubber now meets the road on how these programs get put into place.
As policies are debated, it’s important that the government understands some of the other obstacles you face. This is why telling your story is so important. What are you seeing in terms of permitting challenges? What is happening because of burdensome tax provisions? What are you seeing in your operations in terms of supply chain, access to childcare and workforce shortages. All of those things can be obstacles.
Even as all these new grant programs offer great promise, they are just a step toward universal service – which is a significant down payment - rather than “mission accomplished” in terms of what we are doing.
So that is why we – and certainly policymakers – can’t forget that the Universal Service Fund is as important as ever in sustaining networks and keeping services affordable. We’re going to be talking to a lot of our guests here today about universal service and the current status.
Many of you know, particularly those of you who came to RTIME, that we’ve got these court cases out there and they pose a very serious threat to the ongoing work of universal service. So, these court cases are pending, and we are waiting with bated breath, and we have been for the past few months, to see what kind of decisions come down. Thoughtful consideration of how to promote and sustain universal service is going to be more timely and more important than ever. I know I have said this before in my 30-many years, but this is the year that’s really important. This is the year that’s really important because we might have a decision that comes down quickly. We’re going to need your members of Congress to be ready to act to ensure that the right policies get implemented.
This brings me to an important point as we are all here together – there are a lot of players in this space looking to lay claim on rural broadband. You’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it. Some of them may have started doing work in rural areas in the past few years, and others probably have hardly ever driven down a dirt road.
But you all know that this is about so much more than just claiming stakes – this is about serving the communities you live in and care about, whether it’s your consumers, your neighbors or your friends. It’s about small towns, it’s about farmhouses, it’s about schools, it’s about access to health care, it's about making sure we’re in it for the long run for rural America.
Given the authentic voices you bring and the stories you can tell, we are really thankful to have you in D.C. to help gather additional support for bills that address important issues impacting our members.
We’ve got things teed up on the table such as: USF contribution reform, taxing broadband grants, addressing the rip and replace shortfall, funding future-proof networks through the upcoming Farm bill and protecting small businesses from regulatory burdens and overreach.
Because of your community focus and experience, you are so well-positioned to “own the rural broadband narrative.” You have been the ones fueling the Rural Renaissance and you’re the ones building Smart Rural Communities every day.