Contact: Lauren Gaydos, 703-351-2015
Arlington, Va., (June 22, 2021)—Denny Law, general manager and chief executive officer of Golden West Telecommunications Cooperative in Wall, S.D., today testified at a Senate Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband hearing on the importance of building strong, secure broadband networks.
Golden West is a member of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and serves more than 30,000 customers over a service territory with fewer than 2 customers per square mile.
Law testified on the importance of investing in technology like fiber that is future-proof and can withstand network threats.
“Deployment of cheaper technologies than fiber often sounds attractive in rural markets, but it comes at a different kind of cost,” said Law in his opening remarks. “Technology that causes connectivity to be spotty when it rains or snows, suffer from degradation or completely shutdown in extreme temperatures, encounter line-of-sight issues with seasonal foliage growth, or have network components exposed to the elements may be less expensive to install initially, but these technologies often come with higher operating costs over time and lack the kind of reliability for essential functions.”
Law’s full written testimony can be found here.
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.