Broadband access to underserved communities is one of the top priorities of state legislators. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for access to broadband and SBCA has been actively reaching out to stakeholders on the advances of satellite technology.
While much of the buzz is for fiber deployment, many state and local policy makers fully grasp that the cost and time needed to deploy wired infrastructure is a significant barrier and may not occur for years. Even then it will not serve every household. Both Hughes and Viasat are poised to launch new satellites next year and will be in a strong position to benefit from the fact that our technology is fast, reliable and quickly deployed. SBCA is ramping up our education and outreach efforts to help state legislators understand the technology and work to get funding to help consumers get connected.
Earlier this month, we attended the Southern Leadership Conference where we were able to meet with over 20 policy makers and brief them on the advances of satellite broadband. In addition, SBCA sponsored legislative dinners for contingents from South Carolina and Mississippi where we actively promoted our industry. This effort will continue to expand over the coming months with the goal to bring awareness and understanding to the benefits of our technology.
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