Mayors and City Leaders Will Play Key Role Partnering with Senators Committed to Next-Generation Broadband Access
Washington, DC (July 12, 2016) — Next Century Cities, a bipartisan membership organization of 144 mayors and city officials working to ensure fast, affordable, and reliable internet access for their citizens, today joined as a founding partner of the United States Senate Broadband Caucus. The Senate Broadband Caucus, which launched today, will provide a key forum for Senators to develop federal strategies and learn from broadband partners like the local leaders in Next Century Cities in order to promote broadband deployment and adoption across the United States.
“As a bipartisan coalition of over 140 mayors from across the country, Next Century Cities is proud to be a founding partner of the Senate Broadband Caucus,” said Deb Socia, Executive Director of Next Century Cities. “The mayors and municipal leaders that make up Next Century Cities are committed to ensuring fast, affordable, and reliable internet access for their citizens, and they see the Senators who are launching this new Broadband Caucus as key partners who understand that broadband is critical infrastructure for all Americans.”
The bipartisan Broadband Caucus was launched by five co-chairs: US Senators King (I-ME), Capito (R-WV), Klobuchar (D-MN), Boozman (R-AR), and Heitkamp (D-ND). The Senators plan to work closely with Next Century Cities as they develop caucus events and materials, in order to show how best to partner with local leaders and to learn from broadband successes and challenges around the country.
In addition to Next Century Cities, other founding partners of the Senate Broadband Caucus include Engine, NTCA-the Rural Broadband Association, CCA (Competitive Carriers Association), CTIA (The Wireless Association), INCOMPAS, NCTA (National Cable and Telecommunications Association), and USTelecom.
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Next Century Cities is a non-profit membership organization of 144 communities, founded to support communities and their elected leaders, including mayors and other officials, as they seek to ensure that all have access to fast, affordable, and reliable Internet. As innovative municipalities across the country recognize the importance of leveraging gigabit level Internet to attract new businesses and create jobs, improve health care and education, and connect residents to new opportunities, Next Century Cities celebrates these successes, demonstrates their value, and helps other cities to realize the full power of truly high-speed, affordable, and accessible broadband. For more information, visit www.nextcenturycities.org.