Closing the digital divide one anchor institution at a time.
MEDIA ADVISORY: SHLB to Release Cost Estimate and Broadband Strategy to Connect Rural America February 12, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018
CONTACT:
Amy Robinson, arobinson@shlb.org, (202) 261-6599
SHLB (SCHOOLS, HEALTH & LIBRARIES BROADBAND COALITION) PRESS CALL
“Anchor institutions are key to solving the rural broadband gap.”
Washington, D.C. - (Monday, February 12th) - The SHLB Coalition (Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition) will release on Thursday a holistic broadband strategy to close the digital divide in rural markets. Particularly timely following the release of the Trump Administration’s infrastructure proposal earlier today, SHLB’s rural broadband strategy will focus on deploying high-capacity broadband “to and through anchors” to the surrounding community through wireless and wireline technologies, a strategy that could solve the digital divide for millions of rural Americans.
SHLB will hold a conference call with reporters THURSDAY, February 15th, at 11:00 am ET.
On the call, SHLB will release a new paper from CTC Technology & Energy that estimates the cost to connect all remaining anchors to fiber. SHLB will also outline its strategy to connect rural America with a mix of fiber, fixed wireless, and TV WhiteSpace (TVWS), and present specific policy recommendations for the Trump Administration and Congress. The call will feature prominent voices representing anchor institutions as well as wireless advocates and commercial providers.
Speakers will include:
- John Windhausen, Jr., Executive Director, SHLB Coalition
- Joanne Hovis, President, and Andrew Afflerbach, CEO & Director of Engineering, CTC Technology
- Jim Hermes, Associate Vice President, Government Relations, American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
- Melissa Slawson, General Counsel and Vice President of Government Affairs and Education, GeoLinks
- Don Means, Executive Director, Gigabit Libraries Network (GLN)
- Richard Cullen, Executive Director, Connect Americans Now
WHO: SHLB’s Broadband Industry Experts and Anchors
WHAT: Press Call to review New Cost Estimate and Rural Broadband Strategy
WHEN: Thursday, February 15, 2018, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm ET
WHERE: Phone Line Number: (202) 847-5889 (No PIN Required)
Register for the press call to receive an advance copy of the press release, cost estimate report, and rural broadband strategy.
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About SHLB:
The SHLB Coalition is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-capacity broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. The SHLB Coalition is based in Washington, DC and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations that support our mission from across the United States.