January 22, 2024 – ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer announced today that Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr will be a keynote speaker at the ACA Connects Annual Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 6, 2024. This annual fly-in event attracts broadband and video providers from across the country.
“I’m excited to welcome Commissioner Carr back to the ACA Connects Summit stage,” said Spellmeyer. “The time he spends learning the challenges of bringing broadband to rural America is unparalleled. We’re going to have a great conversation about how our Members can be empowered to grow, innovate, and connect more people in underserved and unserved parts of the country.”
Commissioner Brendan Carr is the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, having served previously as the FCC’s General Counsel. Nominated by both President Trump and President Biden, Carr has been confirmed unanimously by the Senate three times.
Carr has led the FCC’s work to modernize its infrastructure rules and accelerate the buildout of high-speed networks. His reforms cut billions of dollars in red tape, enabled the private sector to construct high-speed networks in communities across the country.
Commissioner Carr brings nearly 20 years of private and public sector experience in communications and tech policy to his position. Before joining the FCC as a staffer back in 2012, he worked as an attorney at Wiley Rein LLP in the firm’s appellate, litigation, and telecom practices. Previously, Commissioner Carr clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Judge Dennis Shedd. After attending Georgetown University for his undergrad, Commissioner Carr earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law where he served as an editor of the Catholic University Law Review.
For the past 30 years, the Summit has provided ACA Connect 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. More speakers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association –America’s Communications Association – ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 500 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, video, and phone services covering 31.9 million households, 7.3 million of which are located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. 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.