Washington, D.C., June 9, 2006 -- The Coalition to Keep America Connected today hailed the passage of an amendment to H.R. 5252, the Communications, Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act, that will preserve Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and state authority to require all providers that use the communications network to contribute to the universal service fund and to pay appropriate compensation for carriage of their traffic.
'The coalition commends the Congressional Rural Caucus for their leadership in shepherding this important amendment through the House,' said John Rose, Coalition to Keep America Connected representative and president of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies. 'The inclusion of this amendment in the COPE Act goes a long way toward ensuring the continued existence of a robust universal service program which is critical to sustaining our nationwide communications network.
'Passage of the COPE Act with this critical amendment means that consumers everywhere will continue to enjoy the multitude of benefits provided by a ubiquitous communications network,' Rose said.
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The Coalition to Keep America Connected is dedicated to ensuring that all consumers have access to affordable telecommunications services and the latest technologies-no matter where they live. The effort is organized by four rural telecom associations, whose memberships include 700 small and midsize communications companies. Together these companies serve millions of consumers and 40% of the landmass across America. Visit us at www.keepamericaconnected.org.
