March 28, 2024— ACA Connects today announced that Patricia Jo Boyers, President/CEO & Co-Founder of BOYCOM Vision and Chair of ACA Connects, was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC) as a working group member.
“I’m excited to lend my voice to this council,” said Boyers. “It’s important that the FCC hear diverse perspectives on how to accomplish the mission of connecting ALL Americans to high-speed internet. I look forward to celebrating the grit and determination of small, rural broadband providers who work every day to invest their livelihoods back into their businesses and help people in their communities.”
President and CEO of ACA Connects Grant Spellmeyer said, “I congratulate Patty on her appointment to the Communications Equity and Diversity Council. It is another strong example of how ACA Connects is advocating to the FCC to ensure small providers are empowered to strengthen America’s networks, deploy more infrastructure, and help promote prosperity for people in diverse communities.”
According to the FCC, “the mission of the CEDC is to make recommendations to the Commission on advancing equity in the provision of and access to digital communication services and products for all people of the United States, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or disability. In carrying out this mission, the Committee will make recommendations to the Commission on how to accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet access, or “broadband,” in all communities by reducing and/or removing regulatory barriers to infrastructure and investment, and by making recommendations on how to strengthen existing broadband networks and develop new ones.
“The Committee will also make recommendations to the Commission on how to accelerate the entry of small businesses, including those owned by women and minorities, into the media, digital news and information, and audio and video programming industries, including as owners, suppliers, and employees.”
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.