The Rural Telecom Congress (RTC) has been a dedicated advocate for creating sustainable and affordable broadband ecosystems for rural America. Our Board of Directors would like to recognize Scott DeGarmo, CEO of Broadband Communities, for his dedication, contributions, and vision in building a stronger America through leveraging broadband technologies in all our communities. We are saddened by his passing as the country has not only lost a strong and innovative advocate, but we have lost a great colleague and friend.
RTC had the pleasure of working in a productive partnership with Scott's Broadband Communities Summit and Broadband Communities Magazine. Beginning in 2010, the annual Rural Telecom Congress has been co-hosted with the annual April Broadband Communities Summit in Dallas and now in Austin, Texas. Scott was instrumental in the creation of Broadband Communities linking vendors, government agencies, economic development and rural America into one of the best annual conferences focused on these important issues. Broadband Communities has established a strong brand recognized across the United States. "Scott was an easy person to talk to and a good sounding board," said Galen Updike, president of RTC from 2010-2013, the time that RTC began co-hosting events with Broadband Communities. "He adopted good ideas, such as the transition from the name 'Broadband Properties' to 'Broadband Communities.'" "Scott tried to bring the people to join with the vendors," said Jane Smith Patterson, president of the RTC from 2013-2015. "It made what the vendors were doing more real, and it got the people in rural broadband more in touch with the vendors." "The world of broadband has lost a giant with the passing of Scott DeGarmo," said Drew Clark, who was elected president of the RTC in April 2015. "Broadband Communities has been instrumental in the current high profile of rural broadband issues." Rep. Rick Nolan of Minnesota introduced legislation this week designed to lay the foundation for a coordinated federal strategy to bring broadband services to underserved rural homes and businesses.
Nolan's Rural Broadband Initiative Act (H.R. 3152) would amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to centralize key rural broadband funding initiatives under one Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under the direction of a new Under-Secretary appointed by the President, the office would administer roughly $724 million in existing rural broadband loan and grant programs - streamlining regulations and act as a one-stop clearinghouse to provide assistance for local, state and regional governments seeking to connect their areas. The office would further act as central clearinghouse of broadband information for all federal agencies - including the Federal Communications Commission, which administers some $4.5 billion specifically designated for rural areas. More importantly, the Office would evaluate the effectiveness of all Federal broadband assistance programs and policies aimed at fostering broadband access in rural and underserved areas, and would evaluate best practices employed at the State and local government level to foster broadband access in rural and underserved areas. The bill would also establish a sense of Congress that "necessary funds should be made available to provide universal and affordable broadband access" across the nation "with a focus on underserved rural communities." This provision is considered key to future budget requests that would follow a wide-ranging assessment of the rural broadband needs - and a forthcoming report to Congress outlining a national rural broadband strategy. "It's time to bring high-speed broadband to all of rural America," Nolan declared. "More than half of all rural Americans are without high-speed broadband. Yet there is currently no clear Congressionally approved plan, no strategy, and no single federal office responsible for helping connect tens of millions of rural people to modern broadband services. Here in rural America, high-speed broadband is essential to our ability to compete - to help start new businesses, create new jobs, attract new people and provide the education and health care services so essential to our quality of life." Details of the proposed bill can be found here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3152/text |
Archives
May 2016
AboutThis is an area where RTC members post information about RTC happenings, along with technology efforts in their states as well as commentary and insight into national policies that effect rural communities. Categories |