This week NTCA members discussed broadband with United States senators, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Ajit Pai.
Wheeler met with members in Ohio on October 7 and West Virginia on October 11. He also took part in a roundtable discussion hosted by the Ohio Telecom Association that included representatives of large and small telecom service providers. NTCA members Ayersville Telephone Co. (Defiance, Ohio) and New Knoxville Telephone Co. (New Knoxville, Ohio) were in attendance, and they outlined the small-company perspective and the challenges they face, including how to sustain service in high-cost markets.
The next week U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D–W.Va.) hosted Wheeler at a broadband connectivity roundtable in Thomas, W.Va. NTCA members Hardy Telecommunications, Inc. (Lost River, W.Va.), Shenandoah Telecommunications Co. (Edinburg, Va.) and Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks Telephone, Inc. (Riverton, W.Va.) attended and discussed the challenges and opportunities of deploying broadband networks in the state. The discussions also included a debate about the second phase of a universal service mobility fund and access to “middle mile” networks.