NATOA “strongly supports” expanding access to the Connect...

NATOA “strongly supports” expanding access to the Connect America Fund, it said in a letter to the FCC Thursday (http://bit.ly/1hsSB3R). “Repurposing a portion of the CAF to new entities -- particularly non-traditional providers of communications services -- will significantly aid in the provision of broadband to the residential, business, and community anchor institution sectors,” the group said. “Non-traditional providers such as municipalities, counties, tribes, public electric utilities and cooperatives, and non-profit providers (such as research and education networks) have demonstrated a track record in recent years of providing reliable and affordable broadband service in unserved and underserved markets. Making the CAF available to fund these network projects will result in more entrants into the broadband provider market in regions of need, more pilot projects for innovative service models, more gigabit capacity networks, and more public-private partnerships with the goal of expanding the broadband user base."