PITTSBURGH, Feb. 1, 2018 – The American Cable Association is pleased to announce that Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), an accomplished communications policy leader committed to closing the digital divide through bipartisan action, will be a keynote speaker at ACA’s 25th Anniversary Summit on March 20-22 in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Blackburn is Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, through which flows nearly every important bill related to the communications sector. Last month, Rep. Blackburn sponsored new Net Neutrality legislation that would guarantee an open Internet while preserving market incentives to deploy broadband infrastructure deeper into unserved and underserved areas.
“Rep. Blackburn’s leadership has been a vital voice in telecommunications policy for many years. We are honored to have her join us and meet ACA members who are deploying broadband across rural America,” ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.
In addition to her Open Internet Preservation Act (H.R. 4686), Rep. Blackburn, along with Energy & Commerce Chairman Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), helped unveil four resolutions and a slate of accompanying legislation that established their principles for broadband expansion nationwide in response to new and significant executive orders on improving broadband infrastructure signed by President Donald J. Trump.
With unique skill and determination, Rep. Blackburn has demonstrated that she understands the importance of focusing on policy goals that are beneficial to consumers and broadband network providers in light of the reality that 39% of Americans living in rural areas, or approximately 23 million people, lack sufficient access to high-speed broadband.
As a solutions-driven policymaker, Rep. Blackburn has earned a special reputation as a bipartisan lawmaker and policy expert on telecommunications issues and intellectual property rights.
A former Tennessee State Senator, Rep. Blackburn was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. She has continued to fight for accountable government, becoming a leader in Congress and a leading voice advocating for a small, efficient federal government that is accountable to its citizens. She became the first woman in the state to win a Congressional seat in her own right.
The ACA Summit is a truly special event that allows small and midsize cable operators that connect hometown America to engage with leading lawmakers and regulators as well as media representatives that report on communications policy in Washington, D.C. Created in the early 1990s, the ACA Summit gives independent cable operators a vehicle for framing the diverse and complex issues in their own words during dozens of meetings on Capitol Hill and with regulators at the Federal Communications Commission.
The theme for this year’s ACA Summit is “Standing The Test Of Time,” a statement indicative of the endurance and dedication shown by independent operators over many years in creating a collective voice in Washington. Over the course of ACA’s history, the independent cable community always embraced the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, who said, “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”
The ACA Summit website includes event details and secure online registration. Please visit the ACA Summit 2018 website by clicking here: ACA Summit. The event will take place at the Grand Hyatt, 1000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. This year’s Summit includes the annual “fly-in” to Washington with its members and, as such, will use the Twitter hashtag #Summit25 for all social media about the event. You can also track ACA Summit news on Twitter by following @ACASummit.
About the American Cable Association: Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing nearly 750 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for nearly 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 members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their business. For more information, visit https://acaconnects.org/