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WASHINGTON, D.C.-Yesterday, Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida), Co-Chairman of the Congressional Rural Caucus (CRC), hosted a forum to discuss the future of rural telecommunications and the Universal Service Fund (USF) in rural America. This is the second in a series of forums hosted by the CRC to address the challenges telecommunications carriers face in providing affordable, modern services to rural customers. These issues are especially important as Congress prepares to re-examine the 1996 Telecommunications Act.
"Rural America cannot be left behind when it comes to national policy decisions, and this forum is a step to ensure that rural America has a voice in developing telecommunications laws for the new millennium," said Congressman Boyd. "We must have fair prices for high-speed Internet, not only to retain and attract good jobs in rural America, but also to improve the overall quality of our lives."
The Universal Service Fund is a federal subsidy program that improves access to telephone services and helps provide resources to rural areas that have previously only been available to larger cities. The USF affects such services as medical facilities, schools and libraries.
Forum panelists included Fred McCallum of BellSouth, which services North Florida, as well as other rural telecommunications industry representatives.
"Programs funded by the Universal Service Fund are very important to rural communities," Congressman Boyd stated. "When we re-examine the Telecommunications Act in the 109th Congress, reforms related to keeping the USF intact must be addressed. This outstanding set of panel members offered their insight to help us do this. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the year ahead to ensure that rural America is better served by our nation's telecommunications laws."
Cong. Boyd, Co-Chair of the CRC, speaks about telecom issues in rural America
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