It Takes More Than Words . . .

On a hot, humid Washington, D.C. summer day last week, 35 rural company representatives representing 38 companies operating in 25 different states gathered for a meeting in response to an invitation issued by one of their colleagues.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the formation of an alliance of companies open to all small rural companies interested in working actively with their associations to bolster industry advocacy efforts and to reestablish the industry's grassroots support.

Only a day before this group gathered, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, sent a letter to FCC Chairman Genachoski that unfortunately provided yet another example of the very concerns and issues that brought the group together - as if meeting the challenges of the FCC Broadband Plan was not enough.

This week's Back Page is about industry unity and responding to the Rockefeller letter - it takes more than words. (Click here to view this week's Back Page.)

(The link to the "Rockefeller Letter" referenced in the Back Page may not work, depending on the program you utilize to open the pdf. You can view both the Senate Commerce Committee press release about the letter and the letter itself by clicking here: "Rockefeller Letter")