Walden Leads Subcommittee Undertaking Comprehensive Telecom Act Review And Revision
PITTSBURGH, January 22, 2015 – The American Cable Association is pleased to announce that Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) — a veteran House lawmaker who will play a major role in a planned updating of the country’s telecommunications laws — will address attendees of ACA’s Washington Summit on Wednesday, March 4, to share his outlook for U.S. communications policy in the new Congress.
Rep. Walden is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, a panel charged with crafting the laws under which ACA members operate. Under his leadership, Walden’s subcommittee has begun a process that will redefine the laws that will govern ACA members’ businesses for many years to come. Tracking the Federal Communications Commission’s rulemakings and monitoring the agency’s enforcement activities are also among the Walden subcommittee’s many day-to-day government oversight functions.
“ACA is honored that Chairman Walden will speak to ACA’s members, who are leaders in providing high-speed broadband Internet services in rural areas, and providing competition and choice in urban areas,” ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said. “ACA members will benefit greatly from the Chairman’s insights, wise counsel and legislative know-how as the independent cable community prepares to take an active role working with policymakers to find the right legal structure for the dynamic communications sector.”
The ACA Summit comes as the FCC plans on Feb. 26 to reclassify broadband Internet access providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, a move opposed by ACA. Rep. Walden, joined by other Capitol Hill lawmakers, is in the middle of the bipartisan effort to find a Title II alternative that would prove less burdensome for independent cable operators.
Rep. Walden represents the people of Oregon’s Second Congressional District, which includes 20 counties in central, southern, and eastern Oregon. Walden, 58, is a lifelong Oregonian whose ancestors came to Oregon by wagon train in 1845. In November 2014, Walden’s House Republican colleagues unanimously reelected him to serve as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).
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/