88R15113 CJM-D
By: Sparks, et al. S.R. No. 241
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Members of the Texas Telephone Association are
gathering in Austin on February 28, 2023, to celebrate Texas Rural
Broadband Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1905, TTA represents the state's local
exchange telephone companies and relies heavily on the volunteer
efforts of its member officers and directors who provide voice and
data service to rural Texas; the association's 46 rural
telecommunications providers include telephone cooperatives, small
family-owned companies, and multistate operations; and
WHEREAS, Covering almost half of the Lone Star State's land
area and a large portion of the Texas-Mexico border, TTA member
companies serve some 1.4 million rural Texas households and 2,200
rural schools, colleges, government agencies, and other anchor
institutions; thousands of miles of fiber optic and wireline
facilities form the backbone of the rural Texas telecommunications
network, enabling voice and wireless calls, broadband, and a range
of additional advanced services; and
WHEREAS, TTA employs approximately 3,800 Texans in full-time
positions and creates thousands of jobs for contractors, materials
suppliers, and other rural Texas businesses; working tirelessly
during adversity, rural phone companies and their technicians have
helped ensure uninterrupted connections for rural Texans during the
challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; moreover, during Winter Storm
Uri in 2021, technicians braved dangerous conditions, often
traveling long distances to power remote switches with generators
and to check on the well-being of customers; and
WHEREAS, For well over a century, TTA has played an important
role in keeping rural Texans connected, and it is indeed a pleasure
to join in recognizing the association for its myriad
contributions; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby recognize February 28, 2023, as Texas Rural Broadband Day at
the State Capitol and extend to all those associated with the Texas
Telephone Association sincere best wishes for continued success;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for TTA as an expression of high regard by the Texas
Senate.