For Immediate Release
Contact: Ted Hearn
(202) 713-0826
[email protected]
PITTSBURGH, April 12, 2019 — ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement:
“ACA Connects applauds FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for announcing the establishment of the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund, which will provide $20.4. billion over 10 years to bring broadband service to unserved areas. Since 2011, the FCC has been dedicated to the mission of ensuring all Americans have access to broadband service, and last year the FCC demonstrated the great value of using reverse auctions to achieve that goal. Authorized winning providers of that auction will deploy more expeditiously more robust broadband service than in the FCC’s Phase II cost model program and do so with far less government support.
“For that reason, ACA Connects in recent testimony before Congress and in FCC filings has called for the FCC to accelerate the award of funding to unserved locations in price cap carrier area by reverse auctions. Today’s announcement takes a big step in that direction. We look forward to working with the FCC to ensure that rules for the new fund prohibit overbuilding of existing providers, enable all providers to participate on a reasonable basis, and give unserved consumers access to robust broadband service.”
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association – Based in Pittsburgh, ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 700 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, phone and video services to nearly 8 million customers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA Connects’ members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their business. For more information, visit: https://acaconnects.org