FCC and USDA to Conduct Educational Workshops on Rural Broadband

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that registration is still open for the two remaining regional educational workshops on rural broadband: September 18, 2008 in Austin, Texas and November 20, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. These workshops are designed to provide communities, organizations, and businesses in rural America seeking to bring the benefits of broadband to their communities with an opportunity to learn about the resources, programs, and policies of the FCC and USDA. The topics to be covered at the workshops include the following: different technology platforms used to provide broadband services, USDA funding for broadband deployment, the Universal Service Fund, the FCC's Rural Health Care Pilot program, and wireless spectrum access. The workshops will also provide communities and organizations an opportunity to share their experiences about broadband deployment in rural and hard-to-reach areas. The workshops will be held free of charge; however, attendees will be responsible for providing their own transportation, lodging, and meals. If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please register no later than August 15, 2008 for the Austin workshop or October 10, 2008 for the Phoenix workshop.