Today should have seen nearly 500 rural broadband advocates spending their time trooping around on Capitol Hill sharing their stories of broadband deployment in the rural part of our country and sharing how those networks have handled the increased traffic over the past 6 weeks as more Americans worked and studied from home. Instead, the Covid-19 pandemic has seen folks hunkered down in their own homes, offices and communities – and rightly so. But that didn’t stop the NTCA team from pivoting quickly to hosting a virtual Legislative and Policy conference today with hundreds of our members participating.
As we enter the second month of social distancing, we have heard some amazing stories of service from our members and have also heard many resounding “thank you” messages from policymakers and members of Congress, as these extraordinary efforts are being recognized and the importance of connectivity is finally getting the recognition it deserves. It made it the perfect time to check in with these policymakers to hear what their priorities are in the broadband arena now that our nation is so dependent on access and bandwidth.
FCC Commissioner Starks kicked us off with his remarks on not only the need for future-proof networks and sustainability in the USF program but also the virtual need for additional access to affordable services for the poorest rural Americans, particularly as jobless claims have increased to record levels and we know many are struggling to pay their bills.
We also hear from Senators Thune (SD) and Young (IN) as well as Representatives Marshall (KS) and Peterson (MN) who each shared personal “thank you” with our members working hard to keep our country’s networks operating and for connecting more Americans to vital communications services, which allow us to work from home and our students to stay connected to their classrooms.
The Hill’s Ian Swanson shared an election update and reiterated the divided nature of our country. Broadband deployment, thankfully, knows no political boundaries.
We heard from key congressional staffers and high level FCC staff and the insight gained from their perspectives was so valuable for everyone to hear given that these are the folks on the front line as policy decisions move….or don’t.
I remain hopeful that we’ll still see some movement on the Keeping Critical Connections Act – which will help offset network costs from consumers who are no longer able to afford their service and student now getting access at home – certainly seems like a stimulus priority to me. This virtual conference encouraged participants to share that message with their Members of Congress as well even as another provision supporting Small Business loans made its way out of the Senate this afternoon.
And what better way to end the day than with a virtual happy hour with our friends in Iowa. Not quite the same as meeting in the Hyatt lounge but not a bad alternative given the circumstances!