CONNECTION
SBCA Welcomes Stacy Fuller to the Board of Directors
Stacy Fuller is VP, External Affairs for DIRECTV and manages legislative and regulatory issues for DIRECTV at the federal and state level. Prior to this role, Stacy has worked at AT&T and DIRECTV for over 16 years focusing on video and other issues before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Stacy has also worked at the FCC as the media advisor for Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, she was an associate at the law firm of Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, and was Director, Legal Affairs at Discovery Communications. Ms. Fuller has a juris doctorate from Emory School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.  
Satellite Industry Prepares to Support Communities Impacted by Hurricane Ida
The satellite industry is closely monitoring the impact of Hurricane Ida. Through our partnership with the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) we will be able to provide vital satellite delivered communications support to relief workers who will help communities impacted by the storm. In many cases, satellite is the only available service in these areas as wired technology has been severely damaged and will take days or weeks to rebuild. Since 2016, the satellite industry has donated more than 250,000 hours of service to communities who have been impacted by natural disaster.
 
In addition, the SBCA Foundation will be offering financial support to organizations who are impacted by the storm. Since its inception in 2015, the SBCA Foundation has donated more than $100,000 to local groups to help them in times of needs. Our focus is on disadvantaged rural communities which may get overlooked by national organizations. Donations have included computers for schools, communications equipment for first responders along with replacing critical medical equipment damaged by flood, fires or other natural disasters.
Hughes Awarded IDIQ Contract by U.S. Air Force to Offer Enterprise Satellite Networking Solutions
Germantown, MD — Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an innovator in satellite and multi-transport technologies and networks for 50 years, today announced that it has been awarded one of several prime positions on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with a ceiling of $950,000,000 by the U.S. Air Force to support its Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). Hughes will offer flexible satellite communications solutions that leverage open systems design, modern software and algorithm development in order to enable ABMS, part of the broader Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) effort to deliver information accessibility to the warfighter.
AT&T & TPG Close DIRECTV Transaction
AT&T Inc.* (NYSE: T) and TPG Capital, the private equity platform of global alternative asset firm TPG, announced today that they have closed their transaction establishing a new company named DIRECTV. This new company will own and operate the DIRECTV, AT&T TV and U-verse video services previously owned and operated by AT&T. DIRECTV had approximately 15.4 million premium video subscribers at the end of the second quarter of 2021.
More States Eye Broadband Expansion Projects
Article via SmartBrief

Missouri Gov. Michael Parson has proposed that the state spend $456 million in federal funds to expand rural broadband coverage, using American Rescue Plan Act money for $400 million and asking the Broadband Infrastructure Program that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration runs to supply the rest. Lawmakers in North Carolina are negotiating broadband funds as well, with the state's Senate and House of Representatives split on final arrangements.