FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
June 28, 1999                           Emily Hoffnar 202/418-0253


$235,000 Promised in First Group of Universal Service Support Letters 
                 to Rural Health Care Providers
                                
                                
The Rural Health Care Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company sent the first
group of letters promising specific amounts of support to individual rural health care providers,
for the first funding year of this program.  Many more letters will soon follow.  This first group
of letters went to 43 rural health care providers, and committed an estimated total of $235,254.18. 


The funds committed to this support will help state-of-the-art telemedicine reach rural areas. 
Specifically, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, permits certain rural health care providers to
obtain telecommunications services at rates that are available to health care providers that serve
urban areas in the same state.  The discounts will ensure that health care providers for rural areas
have affordable access to modern telecommunications services that will enable them to provide
medical services to all parts of the nation.  

Report No:       99-20
CC Docket No.  96-45

                                
                                
                                
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COMMON CARRIER BUREAU CONTACTS:  Linda Armstrong 202/418-7400