FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:             News Media contact:
June 11, 1999                           Joy Howell at (202) 418-0500

           FCC CHAIRMAN KENNARD MEETS WITH SENATORS;
            MAPS OUT STRATEGY FOR  RURAL ACCESS TO 
                 HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICES 

          Washington, DC -- FCC Chairman William Kennard met yesterday with Senate
Minority Leader Tom Daschle and several of  the Senate "Farm Team" and expressed his desire to
work closely with the senators on the proposals put forth in their letter to improve the availability
of high-speed Internet services in rural areas of the country.  Emphasizing that this has been a
leading item on his agenda, Chairman Kennard said, "I am delighted to be working closely with
Sen. Daschle and other Members of Congress to ensure that residents of rural states are not left
on the other side of  the digital divide. Access to advanced telecommunications will be the key to
economic development and prosperity for all the citizens of our country as we enter the new
century."

The topics discussed included:

               Creating incentives to spur competition to serve rural communities among
incumbent telephone companies, independent telephone companies, and new entrants to the
market;
               Ensuring adequate universal service support for all areas of  the country;
     Guaranteeing that high-speed voice and data services are available and affordable in these
areas;
     Encouraging capital investment by telephone companies in facilities to serve rural areas;
     Bringing rural providers together to discuss deployment of these services, including
specific deliverables and a timeline; and
     Exploring the importance of advanced telecommunications services to the economic
development of rural America.





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     At the end of the meeting, Chairman Kennard expressed his enthusiasm for working with
the senators on their proposals and Sen. Daschle commented that he was pleased with Chairman
Kennard's response. Chairman Kennard and Sen. Daschle further announced that:

               Working with the FCC, the senators will convene a summit meeting of 
CEOs representing telecommunications companies that serve rural areas; 
     The FCC will convene a "Death of Distance" conference to bring together experts to
discuss providing high speed services in rural areas, now that technology has made distance a
minimal or nonexistent factor in the cost to companies providing service; and 
     The FCC will conduct field hearings in rural areas to hear from citizens, local officials,
small business owners and industry representatives about ways to improve advanced
telecommunications in their areas.

     


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