Recent releases
June 9, 2009
Rural carrier offers roadmap for America’s broadband future
For more information:
Drew Petersen
Director of legislative and corporate communications
TDS Telecommunications Corp.
608-664-4155
Andrew.petersen@tdstelecom.com
TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS™) filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the FCC’s Notice of Inquiry concerning the development of a National Broadband Plan for the Nation’s future.
The following statements can be attributed to Dave Wittwer, President and CEO for TDS Telecommunications Corp.
“We enthusiastically support the development of a national broadband plan and believe the FCC should incorporate the following three principals into its plan. First, the FCC should pursue broadband policies that lead to the development of a robust and reliable network designed to keep pace with bandwidth demands, which soon will approach 100 Mbps or more. This requires a commitment to reevaluate the definition of “broadband” on a regular basis to ensure that it does not become outdated. Second, because of their proven effectiveness, efficiency and reliability, wireline networks should serve as a baseline for the nation’s broadband infrastructure, with wireless and satellite networks playing complementary roles. Third, to keep rates and services in rural areas comparable to those in urban areas, good public policy requires the costs of deploying and maintaining broadband networks be supported by appropriate universal service mechanisms. The $7.2 billion appropriated by the Recovery Act is a strong start, but additional and ongoing support will be needed to ensure that meaningful and reliable broadband service is indeed available to all Americans.
“TDS, our customers in 30 states, and our 2,700 employees congratulate the FCC for undertaking this important inquiry on the future of broadband services across our country. We look forward to working with the Obama administration, the FCC and Congress as this process moves forward.”
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TDS Telecommunications Corp. markets communication services to business and residential customers in 30 states through its brands TDS Telecom® and TDS Metrocom®. With nearly 1.2 million access line equivalents in service, TDS Telecommunications Corp. connects customers to phone, broadband, and digital television service in hundreds of rural, suburban, and metropolitan communities. TDS Telecommunications Corp. is the eighth-largest wire line company in the nation; employing approximately 2,730 people. The company is headquartered in Madison, Wis. Visit www.tdstelecom.com and www.tdsbusiness.com for more information.
TDS Telecommunications Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. Telephone and Data Systems™ is a Fortune 500® company that provides wireless, local and long-distance telephone, and broadband services to nearly 7.4 million customers in 36 states, through TDS Telecommunications Corp. and U.S. Cellular®, its 81-percent owned wireless subsidiary. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, Telephone and Data Systems employed 12,500 full-time equivalent employees as of Dec. 31, 2008. Telephone and Data Systems is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TDS, TDS.S). For more information, visit www.teldta.com.
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