Collins hosts rural broadband roundtable today in Batavia

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2018 at 7:54 am

FCC Commissioner O’Rielly will join the discussion

BATAVIA – Congressman Chris Collins (R-Clarence) will host a rural broadband roundtable discussion with local elected officials this morning. The event in Batavia will feature Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly.

The 27th Congressional District, which includes Orleans and seven other counties, is 65 percent underserved by high-speed internet, largely due to burdensome regulations on Internet service providers that deter them from expanding service to rural areas, Collins said.

The congressman said he has worked to correct discrepancies in current law to make sure companies who build the groundwork to provide everyday Americans with Internet service are able to continue expansion.

FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly recognizes the need to implement policies that help Internet service providers invest in underserved communities across New York’s 27th Congressional District, Collins said.

The roundtable will be at 10:30 this morning at the Genesee County Legislature Chambers in the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St.

Collins and O’Rielly will also stop by Niagara County Emergency Management Office today to see the emergency communications system. Collins wants to highlight how in New York some of the 9-1-1 fee paid by phone users is diverted and doesn’t go to its intended use of 9-1-1 system operations and upgrades.

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