Presley named to joint board on broadband/telecom programs
The Federal Communications Commission announced Thursday, Dec. 31, that it has appointed Mississippi Public Service Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley to the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. Presley will become one of four state commissioners from around the nation to serve on the board, which makes recommendations regarding billions in spending from the Universal Service Fund.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve on the FCC’s Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service,” said Commissioner Presley. “As a state, Mississippi has benefited tremendously from the funds administered by this board, including the nearly half a billion dollars awarded earlier in December. As our state is working toward a broadband boom for its citizens, I look forward to working with my federal and state counterparts on this vital issue for our nation. I especially appreciate the bipartisan support for my nomination. Broadband expansion is vital to America’s interest and we must all work hard to connect every home in this nation to world-class telecommunications services.”
The Joint Board, made up of Federal Communications Commission members, State utility regulators, and consumer advocates, oversees and makes recommendations on the universal provisions of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. The basic aim of Universal Service is to promote quality telecommunications services at just, reasonable, and affordable rates. It also aims to broaden the deployment of high-tech telecommunications services throughout the country, particularly in low-income, rural, and high-cost regions of the country.
Most recently, Mississippi benefited with $495 million from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) for broadband expansion. RDOF is one of the many programs funded by the Universal Fund.
For more information regarding the appointment, please see the following order from the FCC: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-names-3-members-federal-state-joint-board universal-service
Brandon Presley news release
