FCC Commissioner Carr Visits DTC to See State-of-the-Art Fiber Network

Posted: November 23, 2022

Sometimes you just need to see it for yourself. Flying in from Washington, D.C., for the day, Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr visited Alexandria, Tennessee-based DTC Communications to learn more about fiber-enabled broadband and to see the cooperative’s network operations.

“Commissioner Carr was able to see how DTC and companies like us maximize the utilization of local, state and federal programs to build and maintain the world-class infrastructure necessary to deliver life-improving broadband services,” DTC CEO Chris Townson says. “We reviewed how various grants provide opportunities to build high-cost broadband networks. We then discussed the necessity of continuing the FCC’s Federal Universal Service program to provide sustainable and affordable service to all Americans.”

Carr toured a new DTC central office, where he saw the leading-edge equipment that provides broadband speeds up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps.) He also visited Smith County where crews built aerial fiber optic lines that will soon deliver high-speed broadband to unserved residents.

“It was insightful to visit DTC,” Carr says. “Seeing the state-of-the-art technology and the aerial fiber build provided me with a greater understanding of how providers serve customers across rural areas and the unique challenges they face compared to urban areas.”

During his Tennessee visit, Carr also joined U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and several telco leaders from across the state for a roundtable discussion about expanding broadband.

“We appreciate Commissioner Carr’s effort to visit rural middle Tennessee. It was helpful to hear his approach to ensure that all unserved Americans become served,” Townson says. “Tennessee is often referenced across the country as a leader in broadband deployment, and rightly so. We are working tirelessly to ensure that all unserved Tennesseans are soon served.”