April 25, 2024— ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer released the following statement regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) vote to classify broadband internet service as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and adopt open internet and general conduct rules.
“Small broadband providers are upholding the principles of an open internet and providing excellent customer service. It’s why the internet didn’t break when the FCC repealed Title II in 2017. In fact, it has thrived as broadband providers, like ACA Connects Members, offer Americans faster speeds, more affordable prices, and more choices today than ever before. In the past six years, our Members have invested billions to upgrade their networks and increase their coverage. They now reach about 32 million households, including 7.3 million in rural areas.
“With its internet takeover, the FCC is creating mountains of uncertainty for smaller broadband providers who will be forced to shift much-needed investment dollars away from their networks to pay for expensive regulatory compliance costs. This will set back our Members’ ongoing work to close the connectivity gap in areas of the country that lack reliable services. ACA Connects will continue to support efforts, including litigation, to overturn these heavy-handed, unnecessary utility-style regulations, which only serve to discourage development of robust and reliable broadband service for all Americans.”
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.