The FCC just announced that 93 million Americans are not connected to high-speed Internet connections at home. It’s written in black and white in the FCC’s latest National Broadband Plan Consumer Survey, “Broadband Adoption and Use in America.” But how will policymakers and lawmakers ensure that each and every one of these 93 million Americans is given the same opportunity to join the digital economy?

Is your state PUC questioning your company’s OPASTCO membership and whether or not it’s a legitimate expense on the state level? Here's how your dues hit home.

On Oct. 19th, leaders at 27 Internet companies flexed their muscle for net neutrality by sending an open letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Here is the full text of that letter.

A dominant producer of sports video content has entered the Internet content arena, and its Internet pay-to-play model threatens ISP broadband take rates, local competition, and your customers’ ability to purchase the online content they want.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski sees the National Broadband Plan as one of the most important initiatves the agency has ever undertaken. Genachowski rallies FCC staff to prepare for a grueling seven months and February 2010 deadline.

Excerpts from Julius Genachowski’s Address to the Staff of the Federal Communications Commission on His First Day as FCC Chairman, June 30, 2009

Statement of U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman John D. Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) at the Nominations Hearing for FCC Chairman-Designate Julius Genachowski and FCC Commissioner-Designate Robert McDowell

In this week’s post, OPASTCO President John Rose discusses how rural telecommunications companies can re-imagine how they will earn revenue in the broadband era and regard their typical customer. Additionally, companies also will need to re-evaluate what creates the new typical employee, and how all these factors will contribute to future success.

In this week’s post, OPASTCO President John Rose explains how the advent of broadband has revolutionized the relationship between service provider and customer. As broadband opens up ever more possibilities for communication and interaction, the control service providers once had over how their networks were used is being ceded to the individual customer. Here, Rose encourages OPASTCO members to consider seriously this change and begin exploring how they may embrace both its challenges and opportunities.

The following is the statement of Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Committee on Small Business, during a full committee hearing held May 6, “Legislation to Reauthorize and Modernize SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Programs.” Although the hearing addressed legislation that is not specific to OPASTCO’s core mission, this statement is further proof that a robust telecommunications structure is crucial to economic development because it makes more entrepreneurial efforts in rural areas possible.