Content Archives: Testimony

House Consumer Affairs Committee
Information Hearing on the Telecommunications Industry
March 22, 2017

Testimony of Steven Samara, President, Pennsylvania Telephone Association

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Good morning Chairman Godshall, Chairman Daley and members of the House Consumer Affairs Committee.

On behalf of the rural local exchange carrier (RLEC) member companies of the Pennsylvania Telephone Association (PTA), I want to thank you for scheduling this meeting and providing the opportunity to address a topic that is of vital importance to Pennsylvanians throughout this Commonwealth.

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My name is Steven Samara, and I am the president of the PTA, a trade group which represents the interests of more than two dozen rural telcos operating in all corners of the Commonwealth. PTA members range in size from several hundred thousand access lines to less than one thousand. We pride ourselves on delivering advanced telecommunications services to very rural parts of Pennsylvania, and while we are committed to building the information superhighway in our state, we realize that the roads and bridges that make up our motoring highway need upgraded as well. Our customers, and all Pennsylvania motorists deserve safe, reliable highways and bridges on which to travel.

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The PTA is comprised of RLECs ranging in size from several hundred access lines to those who serve several hundred thousand lines, but the key characteristic of all of my members is that they serve rural Pennsylvanians. That is to say, the demographics of Pennsylvania’s RLECs are similar, regardless of the company size. This fact drives much of what the PTA and its member companies see as important policy decisions before state and federal legislators and regulators.
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Despite the transition to fiber optic cable that Pennsylvania’s RLECs and other telecom providers are involved in, it is important to note that copper cable still plays an important role in delivering reliable service to Pennsylvanians and that traditional network is still capable of completing Internet Protocol and wireless calls in addition to traditional voice messages.
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