Hearings
Connecting Rural Small Businesses to Broadband: Challenges, Successes, and How to Do Better
Friday, September 6, 2019 | 3:30 PM
The Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure will hold a field hearing titled, “Connecting Rural Small Businesses to Broadband: Challenges, Successes, and How to Do Better.” The hearing is scheduled to begin at 3:30 P.M. on Friday, September 6, 2019 at the University of Maine at Machias, Lecture Hall Science 102, 116 Obrien Ave, Machias, ME 04654. Access to reliable and affordable broadband service is imperative to not only the success of small businesses, but the overall economic development of a region. In many rural parts of the country, however, reliable access is far from guaranteed. Over 24 million Americans, the vast majority of whom live in rural areas, lack access to broadband at benchmark speeds. The hearing will focus on broadband deployment efforts in rural America and the challenges small firms in those areas face without reliable broadband services. Additionally, witnesses will suggest potential policy changes Congress could make to improve broadband access in the nation’s rural areas. Witness List Hearing Memo Witnesses Mr. Mark Ouellette President & CEO Axiom Technologies, LLC Machias, ME Testimony Mr. Chris Loughlin Board Member, Downeast Broadband Utility Town Manager, Baileyville, Maine Baileyville, ME Testimony Ms. Lisa Hanscom Co-Manager Welch Farm & First Selectman Roque Bluffs, ME Testimony Mr. Timothy R. McAfee CEO Pioneer Broadband Houlton, ME Testimony *Witness testimony will be posted within 24 hours after the hearing’s occurrence |
