FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 13, 2007

House Passes Key Broadband, E-911 Bills

TIA Supports Legislation as Boosts for Deployment, Public Safety.

Arlington, Va. - Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) applauded the passage of two key communications bills by the U.S. House of Representatives this week: H.R. 3403, the 911 Modernization and Safety Act of 2007 and H.R. 3919, the Broadband Census of America Act of 2007. "We applaud the House of Representatives for taking these actions today and congratulate the bills' sponsors as well as the bipartisan leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for coming together to make the necessary changes to allow these bills to move swiftly and with overwhelming bipartisan support. These bills improve both the accessibility and the quality of the public safety infrastructure and will allow consumers, industry and policymakers with the information necessary to make decisions that will help increase broadband deployment and subscription rates," said TIA President Grant Seiffert.

The 911 Modernization and Safety Act, sponsored by Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), is a significant step toward making America's IP-based services first-responder friendly. "Not only does this legislation facilitate the transition to a national IP-based first responder network," Seiffert said, "but it allows for that transition no matter what type of communications technology is being used."

TIA believes the Broadband Census of America Act gives local, state and federal governments a useful tool to empower market forces and facilitate broadband deployment. "With passage of this bill, we will soon have the tools to generate a comprehensive, accurate map of the nation's broadband infrastructure and states will have the mechanism to take a more active role in the planning of broadband investment," Seiffert said. "The success of similar programs like Connect Kentucky clearly demonstrates that these tools can yield very positive results for broadband consumers in rural and underserved areas."

For more information about TIA's legislative advocacy efforts, please contact Ian Martinez at 703.907.7723 or imartinez@tiaonline.org.

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About TIA
For almost three decades, TIA has leveraged its global resources to create the best possible business environment within which our 500+ members can research, develop, manufacture, market and sell their products and services worldwide. The association accomplishes this through its expertise in standards, advocacy, business development, market intelligence, environmental compliance and information security. TIA is committed to expanding market opportunities while protecting and enhancing the reputation of the global communications industry with all its stakeholders. For more information, go to www.tiaonline.org.