Remarks (as Prepared): USDA Broadband Conference

REMARKS [AS PREPARED]:USDA BROADBAND CONFERENCE

Thank you for inviting me to be here today. This conference is serving a much-needed purpose. Broadband must be expanded to rural areas of Ohio, and we need to figure out the best way to get that done. I am happy to see we have key people here today, including folks from USDA Rural Development, service providers, community leaders, and customers.

I believe this conference can be a place to begin closing the broadband gap -- a place where rural communities can develop partnerships and strategies to meet their broadband needs. This event offers an opportunity to develop new ideas and new relationships and simply a chance to learn more.

Businesses and organizations of nearly every type benefit from broadband access. Hospitals, universities, local governments, businesses, and farmers throughout rural America can do the things they do right now better and faster with broadband capabilities, while also realizing new opportunities in areas such as distance learning, collaborative research and development, telemedicine, and so on.

The programs we are here to talk about today can help you realize these benefits in two ways: 1. By assisting with the development of networks in underserved areas; and 2. by finding ways to better utilize networks that are already in place to achieve your organization's goals. Since 2001, over $2.1 million in USDA funding has gone out in Ohio to achieve these purposes, and I encourage all of you to work with the agency to see if you can dramatically increase that funding total in the years ahead.

In fact, I have staff in my office who focus exclusively on helping Ohio organizations apply for and secure federal grants, so please don't be shy about contacting them to see how they can help. Feel free to contact Lee Burke in my Cincinnati office or Suzanne Brennan in my Columbus office.

The President has endorsed the availability of broadband high speed Internet service to all Americans by 2007. To accomplish this, more than $2 Billion in USDA Rural Development Broadband financing is available to help rural communities transform this goal into reality.

I fully support the availability of broadband service for all Ohioans and will, through my position on the Senate Appropriations Committee, work to provide increased funding for rural broadband research and development.

I also serve as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights. In my capacity as Chairman, I have held numerous hearings on the state of competition in the telecommunications industry and am going to continue to conduct and participate in hearings in the future, both on specific deals, such as the proposed ATT merger with BellSouth and also the more general topic of what issues Congress should consider as we look at re-writing the telecommunications laws in the next year or two.

One of the most important issues that we need to consider as these hearings go forward is the information technology needs of customers in rural communities. I encourage you to contact me as issues arise in this area and provide your views or any information that we should be considering as we think about making these changes.

Thank you for coming here today to discuss key issues affecting the technology needs of rural America, and I look forward to working with you and with USDA to make the goal of universal access a reality.

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