ALTS Supports Legislative Efforts to Promote Broadband Deployment in Rural Communities.Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2000 Bills Introduced by U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan Byron Leslie Dorgan (born May 14 1942) is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota. He is a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, the North Dakota affiliate of the Democratic Party. and Jay Rockefeller Encourage Investment in DSL DSL in full Digital Subscriber Line Broadband digital communications connection that operates over standard copper telephone wires. It requires a DSL modem, which splits transmissions into two frequency bands: the lower frequencies for voice (ordinary and Advanced Telecom Infrastructure in Rural Areas. The Association for Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS ALTS Association for Local Telecommunications Services ALTS Aarhus Lawn Tennis Selskab (Denmark) ALTS Annotated Labeled Transition System ALTS Analogue Line Terminating Subsystem ALTS Automatic Laser Tracking System ) today announced its support of legislative efforts by Senators Byron Dorgan and Jay Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937), generally known as Jay Rockefeller, has served as a Democratic U.S. Senator from West Virginia since 1985. He was Governor of West Virginia from 1977 to 1985. As a great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. that would create financial incentives for telecommunications companies to launch Internet broadband services in rural communities. Senators Rockefeller and Dorgan have introduced separate bills addressing the rural broadband deployment issue. Senator Rockefeller, along with Senator Olympia Snowe Olympia Jean Bouchles Snowe (born February 21, 1947) is a Republican politician and the senior United States Senator from Maine. A moderate Republican, Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence close votes and Senatorial filibusters, making her among the , have introduced the "Rural Telecommunications Modernization Act of 2000," which would provide a tax credit to companies that provide broadband telecommunications facilities capable of transmitting voice and data at a minimum of DSL speed in rural areas. Senators Dorgan, Tom Daschle and Max Baucus have introduced "The Rural Broadband Enhancement Act," which would make available a $3.0 billion revolving loan fund A Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) is a source of money from which loans are made for small business development projects. A loan is made to one person or business at a time and, as repayments are made, funds become available for new loans to other businesses. over five years to telecommunications companies. This fund would provide capital for low interest loans of 2 percent, repayable over 30 years, to companies building infrastructure in rural areas. The loans would be made by the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Services. "We appreciate the efforts of the sponsors of these bills to help companies expand their businesses into rural communities," said John D. Windhausen, Jr., President of ALTS, the nation's leading organization representing facilities-based competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). "We look forward to working with the Senate and the House to close the `digital divide' between rural and urban communities - and ensure that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of competitive local telecom services." ALTS is the leading national industry association whose mission is to promote facilities-based local telecommunications competition. Created in 1987, ALTS has offices in Washington, D.C. and Irvine, California and now represents more than 200 companies that build, own, and operate competitive local networks. For more information on ALTS, contact Crawford Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most at 703/318-5460 or visit www.alts.org. |
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