Relatively Quiet Session Doesn’t Mean Things Aren’t Busy

In each of the last few years, the first quarter has been dominated by major legislative efforts for TTA members and our allies.
So you would be forgiven for thinking that a year like 2018, when no major telecom bills seemed to get any traction in the state legislature, must have meant for a slow first quarter for TTA and our legislative team.

That was not the case at all.

This spring has seen a TTA delegation traveling to Washington, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai visiting our state, the governor adding $5 million in broadband grants and our first-ever legislative breakfast in the new home of the state legislature. In addition, TTA and its members have been involved in two national industry conferences in Nashville: the Broadband USA Summit and the NTCA PR and Marketing Conference.

To me, this means two things:
1) It’s exciting and encouraging that our industry and rural broadband have become such hot topics as to have that much activity swirling around them.
2) It’s more important than ever for TTA members to keep telling our story and sharing the message that we are Tennessee’s rural broadband experts.

Everyone is looking for solutions to provide rural residents with broadband connectivity, and it’s crucial that TTA members remain an important part of the solution here in Tennessee. The only way we achieve that is to stay busy like we have so far this year. I would like to thank all of the TTA company representatives who have traveled far and sacrificed time to be the voice for our industry around the state and around the nation. I look forward to gathering together again next month at the annual meeting in Franklin.