Broadband Industry Unites to Launch State Broadband Office Educational Webinar Series

Leading industry associations will deliver monthly educational webinars for State Broadband Offices focused on key areas of interest in support of NTIA BEAD program

Today the nation’s leading broadband trade associations announced they will deliver a monthly educational webinar series to support the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and State Broadband Offices with the implementation of the Broadband Equity Access, and Development (BEAD) Program that will provide over $42 billion to state and territory broadband projects.

There are 11 associations presenting the webinar series that represent broadband providers of every size and technology across the U.S. They are ACA Connects, Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), CTIA, the Fiber Broadband Association, INCOMPAS - the Internet and Competitive Networks Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, USTelecom - The Broadband Association, and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA).

The webinar series will educate state broadband leaders, the NTIA, community leaders, and potential BEAD participants on the opportunities, challenges, and mitigation strategies related to the BEAD program and broadband deployment. Starting on September 14 at 1PM ET, the 30-minute webinars will be held the second Wednesday of the month at 1 PM ET. The initial webinar dates and topics include:

• September 14 - Supply Chain / Build America, Buy America
• October 12 - Workforce Development
• November 9 - Affordability
• December 14 - Permitting/Rights of Way
• January 11 - Cyber Security

The Associations issued the following group statement about the webinar series:

“Our primary goal is to make it as easy and efficient as possible to navigate through the BEAD program’s requirements and potential deployment challenges. These webinars are designed to help state broadband leaders, broadband providers, key stakeholders, and the BEAD program itself become highly successful. Congress, via the NTIA, has presented our industry with a monumental opportunity to close the digital equity gap for good. The leading industry associations have aligned to present this monthly webinar series and attendees will be able to leverage our united expertise and bring back proven broadband deployment tips and best practices to their own communities.”

Future webinar topics may include Ask Me Anything (AMA) with all participating associations, best practices in setting up successful grant programs, maximizing participating from qualified providers, and other subjects of high interest to NTIA and state broadband leadership. For more information on the BEAD webinar series, visit the registration page here. Please also visit the official Internet for All website hosted by the NTIA and the Department of Commerce that outlines the key broadband infrastructure programs from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

About ACA Connects

Based in Pittsburgh, ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association is a trade organization representing more than 600 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, phone and video services to nearly 11 million households and businesses primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA Connects’ Members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their businesses.

About CCA

CCA is the nation’s leading association for competitive wireless providers and stakeholders across the United States. Members range from small, rural carriers serving fewer than 5,000 customers to regional and nationwide providers serving millions of customers, as well as vendors and suppliers that provide products and services throughout the wireless communications ecosystem. Visit www.ccamobile.org.

About CTIA

CTIA (ctia.org) represents the U.S. wireless communications industry and the companies throughout the mobile ecosystem that enable Americans to lead a 21st-century connected life. The association’s members include wireless carriers, device manufacturers, suppliers as well as apps and content companies. CTIA vigorously advocates at all levels of government for policies that foster continued wireless innovation and investment. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices, hosts educational events that promote the wireless industry, and co-produces the industry’s leading wireless tradeshow. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.

About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policy makers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.

About INCOMPAS

INCOMPAS—the internet and competitive networks association—represents internet, streaming, communications and technology companies both large and small, advocating for laws and policies that promote competition, innovation and economic development. The association’s competitive providers are deploying future proof networks that offer faster speeds, lower prices, and better customer service to consumers and businesses across the nation. INCOMPAS is based in Washington, DC.

About NRECA

NRECA is the national service organization for more than 900 not-for-profit rural electric cooperatives that provide electric power to 56% of the nation’s landmass but only approximately 12 percent of electric customers. Rural electric cooperatives serve 92% of persistent poverty counties nationwide. NRECA and its members are deeply committed to promoting the deployment of broadband within the rural communities and areas in which they serve. More than 200 NRECA members provide fixed broadband service today. Many more are exploring the feasibility of deploying broadband or ways they can assist other providers in bringing vital broadband service to their unserved and underserved communities.

About NRTC

NRTC is a member-driven, technology-focused cooperative. We provide technology solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all of the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s products and services – including broadband, smart grid, managed services and mobile – are developed to meet the unique needs of rural utilities and their customers. NRTC helps ensure our members' success by aggregating their individual buying power, negotiating national contracts, and helping members integrate technology solutions with existing infrastructure.

About NCTA – The Internet & Television Association

NCTA – The Internet & Television Association represents network innovators and content creators that connect, entertain, inform and inspire consumers every day. NCTA’s members have invested $300 billion in private capital to build the world’s most powerful technology platform, reaching 80 percent of American homes and serving 76 million customers. More than 200 programming networks are creating imaginative, popular and award-winning television content. Our industry supports 3 million American jobs and employs at least 300 people in every congressional district.

About NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association

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.

About USTelecom – The Broadband Association

USTelecom – The Broadband Association is the national trade association representing network providers, technology innovators, suppliers and manufacturers committed to connecting our families, communities, enterprises, and the world through the power of broadband. Its diverse member base ranges from large publicly traded communications corporations to small companies and cooperatives – all providing advanced communications and broadband services to hundreds of millions of customers around the world.

About the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA)

The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) represents the companies that make up the wireless infrastructure ecosystem in the United States. Our members are the businesses that develop, build, own and operate that nation’s wireless infrastructure. WIA member companies include wireless carriers, infrastructure providers, and professional services firms that collectively own and operate more than 135,000 telecommunications facilities around the globe.

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