Lawmakers To Share Their Views On Smaller Market And Rural Communications Issues
PITTSBURGH, February 5, 2015 – The American Cable Association is pleased to announce that Rep. Bob Latta (R-Oh.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) – two Congressional experts on rural communications policy — will address attendees of ACA’s Washington Summit on Wednesday, March 4, as Congress prepares to update the nation’s bedrock telecom laws for the first time since 1996.
“ACA is delighted that Reps. Latta and Welch will join us for an informative bipartisan overview of the key issues on Capitol Hill that ACA members care about,” ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said. “I know ACA members will benefit from this session because Reps. Latta and Welch know the formula for unlocking innovation and driving investment in broadband technology in small and mid-sized markets with unique economic characteristics.”
In 2013, Rep. Latta and Rep. Welch together formed a bipartisan working group of Energy & Commerce members seeking to highlight rural communication issues within the Committee. The Rural Telecommunications Working Group (RTWG) had 11 Republicans and 9 Democrats in the 113th Congress, with more members expected to join in the new Congress.
At the ACA Summit, Reps. Latta and Welch will exchange ideas in response to questions posed by Polka, including some related to the lawmakers’ decision to form the rural telecom working group within the Energy & Commerce Committee, their interest in bipartisan telecom policy outcomes and what they hope to achieve in new and updated communications laws.
Rep. Latta represents Ohio’s 5th Congressional District and is currently serving his fifth term in the House. The House Energy and Commerce Committee on which he serves has jurisdiction over communications laws and the Federal Communications Commission, an independent agency that implements federal legislative directives. Rep. Latta is Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Rep. Welch was elected to the House in 2006, serving as Vermont’s sole House member. Rep. Welch is a member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, where he has focused on promoting competition in communication markets and ensuring that government actions take care to address the needs of rural consumers.
Taking place March 3-5 in Washington, D.C., the ACA Summit is a forum that allows independent cable operators to come in close contact with America’s top lawmakers, regulators and journalists to discuss the vital communications issues of our time.
The ACA Summit website includes event details and secure online registration. Please visit the ACA Summit 2015 website by clicking here: ACA Summit. The event will take place at the Grand Hyatt, 1000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.
ACA’s more than 800 independent cable operators play a unique role in providing best-in-class communications services to millions of consumers, many living and working in rural areas of the country. These operators also are competitive providers of cable service in urban areas, bringing choice and price competition to consumers. When it comes to responding to the critical broadband infrastructure needs of America, ACA Members are supplying the solutions.
Created in the early 1990’s, the ACA Summit gives independent cable operators a vehicle for framing the issues in their own words during dozens of meetings on Capitol Hill over a short period of time. More so than ever, ACA Members agree on the need to speak with one voice and to be as visible as possible in making their views known on the diverse and complex issues facing their companies.
About the American Cable Association: Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing about 850 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, visithttps://acaconnects.org/