Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-VA), a member of the Subcommittee, announced today that the Communications and Technology Subcommittee will hold a field hearing on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 2 pm at the Prince George County Central Wellness Center on the importance of rural broadband access. The hearing is entitled, “Rural Broadband: Connecting Consumers and Empowering Small Businesses Across America."
“Access to fast, reliable and affordable broadband is critical to compete in today’s economy. At its best, the American story is one of furthering and preserving equal opportunity, yet despite broad bipartisan agreement on the importance of expanding broadband access, too many of our rural communities are still being left behind. The problems we face in Washington working to ensure every community has access to the high-speed internet needed to grow small businesses and create good-paying jobs are complex; however, Virginia’s Fourth District is already implementing viable solutions," said Congressman McEachin. “I am very much looking forward to working with Chairmen Pallone and Doyle to bring Congress to Prince George County, whose transformative story-from limited broadband access to gigabyte-speed fiber-offers a successful blueprint for underserved communities throughout the country."
“Too many small businesses and families in rural America lack access to a broadband internet connection. To close this gap, we must invest federal funds to bring affordable and high-speed internet access to these communities, as well as improve the accuracy of coverage maps," said Pallone and Doyle. “Congressman McEachin is a fierce advocate for bringing broadband to unserved and underserved areas. We are looking forward to holding this field hearing in his congressional district to explore how best to connect rural America and promote economic growth and innovation."
Who: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee and witnesses.
What: A field hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee entitled, “Rural Broadband: Connecting Consumers and Empowering Small Businesses Across America."
When: Thursday, Feb. 20, at 2 pm (EDT)
Where: Prince George County Central Wellness Center, 11023 Prince George Drive, Disputanta, Virginia, 23842.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee and its Communications and Technology Subcommittee has jurisdiction in the U.S. House of Representatives over broadband internet service and other electronic communications.
Additional details will be announced next week.
