February 20, 2024 — ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer announced today that Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator Alan Davidson is a keynote speaker at the ACA Connects Annual Summit.
“I’m excited to welcome Assistant Secretary Davidson to our Summit. He is joining us at a critical time as ACA Connects Members apply for BEAD funding in their states,” said Spellmeyer. “We share in NTIA’s goal to make sure these historic investments close the broadband gap in unserved and underserved communities. This is a don’t-miss opportunity for us to engage directly with the Administrator on how we can be NTIA’s partner to deploy more infrastructure, connect more people to high-speed internet, help them participate in the American economy.”
Alan Davidson leads NTIA, the President’s principal advisor on telecommunications and information policy. As NTIA Administrator, he oversees a federal agency with more than 500 employees working to close the digital divide, manage federal spectrum resources, and build a better Internet. As directed by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), NTIA is the lead agency in charge of implementing the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
ACA Connects represents more than 500 smaller rural broadband providers, who are important players in helping meet NTIA’s mission connect everyone in America to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. In addition to its advocacy at the Summit, ACA Connects is providing valuable resources and tools, like its BEAD Framework, to help its Members, state broadband officers, and other stakeholders navigate the funding application process.
About #Summit2024: For the past 30 years, the ACA Connects Summit has provided Members with a forum to gain insight into business trends and policy developments, advocate for a level playing field, and engage with policymakers and industry leaders.
The theme for this year’s Summit is “Invest and Innovate.” The event will take place March 5-7 at the Grand Hyatt, 1000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr, Anna Gomez, and Geoffrey Starks are also participating as keynote speakers.
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association –America’s Communications Association – ACA Connects is a trade organization representing approximately 500 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, video, and phone services covering 29.5 million households. ACA Connects Members operate in every state, providing advanced communications to connect homes, companies, main street, schools, hospitals and more. America’s economic prosperity in smaller communities and rural areas depends on the growth and success of ACA Connects Members, who believe a connected nation is a prosperous nation.