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RURAL CELLULAR ASSOCIATION ADVOCACY UPDATE

RURAL CELLULAR ASSOCIATION ADVOCACY UPDATE. TOM ATTAR, HIGHLAND CELLULAR, LLC CHAIRMAN, GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY COMMITTEE CAROL MCDAID, CAPITOL DECISIONS, INC. LAKE TAHOE, 2005. PLANNING A WINNING STRATEGY FOR RCA’S MEMBERS. Surveyed members for top federal priorities

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RURAL CELLULAR ASSOCIATION ADVOCACY UPDATE

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  1. RURAL CELLULAR ASSOCIATION ADVOCACY UPDATE TOM ATTAR, HIGHLAND CELLULAR, LLC CHAIRMAN, GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY COMMITTEE CAROL MCDAID, CAPITOL DECISIONS, INC. LAKE TAHOE, 2005

  2. PLANNING A WINNING STRATEGY FOR RCA’S MEMBERS • Surveyed members for top federal priorities • Created policy papers for dissemination to Capitol Hill • Hosted Advocacy Day in Washington, DC (June 21 – 23, 2005) • Provided members with advocacy tools: talking points, one pagers, position statements • Continue to educate membership through Washington Monitor

  3. RCA’S TOP FEDERAL ISSUES

  4. WHAT RCA NEEDS FROM YOU • Be Politically Active with your Member of Congress • Attend RCA Advocacy Trainings • Go to RCA’s Lobby Day in DC

  5. OUTLOOK • Hill action stalled by Katrina • WARN Bill on DTV/Budget Reconciliation? • House Telecom Chairman introduced VOIP bill: no USF, no intercarrier comp reform—hearings to follow to end of 2005 • Senate Telecom Chairman expected to unveil telecom bill before end of year • Congressional Activity: Listening sessions, hearings, debates this year • Telecom rewrite heats up in 2006

  6. FCC REGULATORY ISSUES DAVID NACE LUKAS, NACE, GUTIERREZ & SACHS LAKE TAHOE, 2005

  7. A MANDATE ALMOST NO ONE MEETS • E-911, Phase II Location Capability For handset-based carriers, RCA petitioned FCC for relief from the 12/31/05 deadline by which 95% of subscribers must have Phase II capable equipment – but carriers must also file for relief For network-based carriers, RCA’s technical consultant, Art Prest, participates in a group tasked to make recommendations to the FCC on how to measure location accuracy

  8. OPPOSE NEW UNFUNDED MANDATES ON CARRIERS • Possible Emergency Alert Service (EAS) Mandate FCC expected to act soon in a proceeding to expand EAS capabilities to make use of newer technologies, including wireless phones

  9. ROAMING ISSUES • FCC recently opened a rulemaking proceeding on automatic roaming issues RCA plans comments that will explain the importance of automatic roaming to customers of rural carriers

  10. CONTINUE USF SUPPORT • RCA encourages the FCC to continue policies that allow rural wireless carriers that are willing to take on Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) obligations to receive support from the USF USF support helps wireless carriers upgrade and expand services

  11. SPECTRUM PURCHASE OPPORTUNITY • 2006 FCC Auction of 90 MHz for Advanced Wireless Services RCA successfully petitioned the FCC to make more of the 90 MHz available with RSA/MSA license boundaries

  12. MORE SPECTRUM OPPORTUNITIES • 700 MHz Spectrum – Useful for wireless broadband – FCC to auction more in the upper and lower 700 MHz band • H-Block and J-Block of PCS – Possible auction of two 10 MHz blocks

  13. HOW TO HELP YOUR OWN COMPANYTHROUGH RCA • Carriers may participate in the Government & Regulatory Committee • Respond to Questionnaires to provide your RCA advocates with information needed to understand your circumstances • Read “The Washington Monitor” sent to members twice monthly and more often when important things occur

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