Group Looks Forward to Discussing $4.2 Billion Grant Program
PITTSBURGH, March 27, 2009 – The American Cable Association applauded President Barack Obama’s decision Friday to nominate Lawrence E. Strickling as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
In his new position in the Administration, Strickling will also serve as Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which just received $4.2 billion in grant money from Congress to accelerate deployment of high-speed Internet access in unserved and underserved areas of the nation. The NTIA administrator is the President’s principal adviser on telecommunications policy.
“ACA congratulates Mr. Strickling on his nomination, and we look forward to working with him in connection with NTIA’s grant program and other matters related to broadband deployment, particularly in small markets and rural areas,” ACA president and CEO Matthew Polka said.
On March 19, Polka addressed a broadband deployment forum hosted by NTIA in Washington, D.C. In his comments, Polka urged NTIA to ensure that grant money is available to facilitate construction of long-haul and middle-mile projects, which will affordably link local, high-capacity cable broadband networks to the Internet backbone often located dozens of miles away. In addition, Polka supported “last mile” projects.
“Funding middle-mile and last-mile projects will improve broadband speeds and help deliver broadband for the first time to communities that have been economically impossible to serve,” Polka said.
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About the American Cable Association
Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing more than 900 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for more than 7 million cable subscribers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA’s 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/
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