Western Telecommunications Alliance

WTA News & Events Archive

Archive for the ‘WTA News’ Category

:: September 16th, 2011 ::

WTA Member Volcano Communications Featured in Local News Story

Rural Broadband Funding Changes Proposed

By Matthew Hedger

Grass roots efforts are getting under way to try to change the minds of federal government policy makers who are proposing changes in the way money collected from consumers will be used to improve rural broadband communication services.At the center of the issue is a Federal Communications Commission proposal to prioritize projects in urban areas — where more customers are available — at the expense of less densely populated areas.

Sales and Marketing Director Duke Milunovich, of Volcano Communications, one of only 13 independent telecommunication operators left in California, said the impacts of the proposed changes would be felt not only by customers of his company, but also by rural users serviced by larger providers, such as AT&T.  Read more…

:: April 12th, 2011 ::

WTA News: Economic Gardening Instead of Big Business Hunting

50 billion dollars; that is how much communities and states spend each year wooing businesses from outside their area, according to Dr. Glenda Humiston, USDA Rural Development State Director for California. Speaking at last week’s Western Telecom Alliance Convention, Humiston likened this jockeying for out-of-town businesses as a zero-sum game that has limited benefit in spurring local economic growth. Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis supports this idea that when cities, states and regions compete with subsidies, there are no winners.  Read more of this story…

:: March 16th, 2010 ::

WTA Responds to Release of Broadband Plan

WTA issued the following press release earlier today in regard to the FCC’s release of Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan.

WTA Press Release

:: March 16th, 2010 ::

FCC Releases National Broadband Plan

http://download.broadband.gov/plan/national-broadband-plan.pdf

:: March 10th, 2010 ::

IRS Clarifies Tax Status of BTOP Grants

The IRS has made a determination regarding the taxation status of  BTOP grants payments.  The Department of Commerce’s General Counsel received the attached letter from the IRS earlier this week.

lt.stimulus.taxguidance.irs.030910

:: January 25th, 2010 ::

WTA Submits Reply Comments in Opposition to NCTA’s Petition for Rulemaking

WTA’s Reply Comments

:: December 8th, 2009 ::

WTA Comments on Role of USF and ICC in the National Broadband Plan

Role of USF and ICC in National Broadband Plan

:: November 6th, 2009 ::

WTA Encouraged by Release of Draft USF Legislation

WTA Press Release

:: November 4th, 2009 ::

WTA Submits Comments on Commission’s Notice on Impact of Middle and Second Mile Broadband Availability and Deployment

Impact on Middle and Second Mile Broadband Access

:: October 28th, 2009 ::

WTA Joins Comments Responding to USAC’s Request for USF Policy Guidance

USAC USF Guidance OPASTCO-WTA