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Aumua Hosts Roundtable Discussion on Rural Telecom Issues

December 1, 2015

Washington, D.C. –Tuesday, Chairman Aumua Amata, Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Health & Technology, hosted a roundtable discussion today on Capitol Hill on the topic of rural telecommunications, an issue that is of great importance to American Samoa.

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Rural Telecom Roundtable

Congresswoman Aumua Amata, Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Health & Technology
Hosts a Roundtable Discussion on Rural Telecommunications

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Rural Telecom Roundtable

"As we continue to work through the 114th Congress, it is my goal to ensure that we do all we can to assist telecommunications companies in their efforts to increase access in rural areas for small businesses," said Amata. "Our nation's small businesses make up 99.7 percent of the United States' employer firms, and we must make sure that they have the tools and capabilities to compete on a global scale," continued Amata.

The Congresswoman initiated the roundtable discussion following a full committee hearing earlier this year on the issue. The roundtable provided an "off the record" forum where invested parties could speak on the issue, and more specifically what can be done to improve the current state of rural telecommunications.

Included in the roundtable discussion were Full Committee Chairman Steve Chabot, entities from across the industry and other government officials, which included some of the private sector providers, who voiced some of their concerns with the many FCC regulations that affect their ability to provide services. The participants also discussed the future of the industry and how our small businesses will be able to better compete in the future due to upcoming advances.

"I want to thank all of the participants who joined in today's discussion. It is critical that Congress provide the opportunity to hear from individuals in both the private sector and government when it comes to the issues that affect the nation's economic stability and growth. I am encouraged by today's discussion and look forward to continuing to work to ensure that our small businesses have all the tools they need to compete and prosper," concluded Amata.

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