October 7, 2024 – ACA Connects today pledged its assistance to Member companies currently preparing for Hurricane Milton’s landfall and those recovering in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. ACAC is offering its help to Members seeking support with federal resources, updates on preparation and recovery efforts, and connections with other affected providers and industries to facilitate rebuilding.
“With millions of lives along the eastern seaboard deeply and irrevocably affected by these devastating storms, our Members know how important ensuring reliable communications networks are to helping people connect to loved ones, access recovery information, and start rebuilding their communities,” said ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer. “We know how hard smaller providers are working to reconnect and safeguard their services, and we appreciate their efforts to serve their subscribers during difficult times. ACA Connects is here to help our Members should they need it.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our sisters and brothers in harms way fighting to ensure their subscribers – their friends, neighbors, and family – are connected with lifeline service,” said ACA Connects Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers, president of BOYCOM Vision. “Their fellow ACA Connects Members stand with them and pledge their support, resources, and manpower on this lifesaving work. We wish them Godspeed.”
ACA Connects urges all its Members to consult its “Preparing for Weather-Related Emergencies and Ensuring Compliance with Related Regulatory Obligations” member advisory. The advisory provides information about taking advantage of government programs that enable essential personnel to communicate when networks are degraded or congested due to weather or other events, available assistance through the Federal Communications Commission to restore or maintain service, and key compliance requirements during natural disasters.
ACA Connects can also help Members obtain disaster-related resources through the federal government, such as “access letters” issued by the Department of Homeland Security that can help communications providers gain admittance to restricted areas. In addition, ACA Connects participates with other providers and industry associations on the Communications Information Sharing and Analysis Center (COMM-ISAC), which convenes during and after major emergencies to exchange information and coordinate response activities. Through this forum, ACA Connects is able to obtain status updates on recovery efforts and voice our Members’ concerns regarding obstacles to recovery.
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 29.5 million households. 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.