Urge Congress to widen broadband

To the editor:

Access to high-speed Internet — some of us take it for granted. Others would do almost anything to have it. The economic growth and livelihood of nearly every city, town and rural area throughout the nation depends on it.

Right now, Congress has the opportunity to make broadband available in more markets. How? By passing the Federal Universal Service Reform Act, HR 2054, which will:

1. Expand the federal universal service definition to include broadband as a “supported service” thereby making more broadband available to more markets.

2. Expand the Universal Service Fund (USF) contribution base requiring all communications providers to equitably invest in the fund, thereby reducing – by almost half – the percentage consumers are billed each month for USF.

TDS, with customers in 30 states, has worked diligently to get this legislation introduced in Congress. Now we need your help to secure passage and make broadband available in more markets.

Please contact your member of Congress. Tell them to support rural America’s telecommunications needs and urge them to co-sponsor HR 2054. Call them in Washington, D.C., at 202-224-3121 or visit capwiz.com/itta/home and click “Take Action!”

Together, we will make broadband available in all communities – big, small, urban or rural.

Dave Wittwer
President and CEO
TDS Telecommunications Corp.
Madison, Wis.