White House Huddles with Small Broadband Players

White House officials met privately with the CEOs of trade groups representing smaller internet service providers: America's Communications Association, the Competitive Carriers Association, NTCA, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Rural Wireless Association and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association. Although some bigger ISPs balk at Biden’s proposal, these smaller trade groups have been playing a more careful game and see much they like. Stephen Bell, a spokesperson for the electric cooperative association, said his organization likes the White House’s “recognition of the strong promise that the cooperative business model holds in the effort to connect many rural communities.” And Shirley Bloomfield, who heads NTCA, recently chided larger industry incumbents like AT&T for opposing hikes in minimum broadband speeds, a priority for Hill Democrats and something President Biden seems to support in invoking “future-proof” broadband investments (many read this as a nod to supporting fiber buildout, which allows higher speeds).