Rep. Julie French Receives the 2010 Montana Telecommunications Association Distinguished Leadership Award

Each year, the Helena-based Montana Telecommunications Association http://www.telecomassn.org recognizes a Montanan who has distinguished himself or herself by extraordinary contribution to Montana’s economic development by encouraging investment in our state’s telecommunications environment. Investment in advanced telecommunications services helps improve economic opportunity, health care, education and a broad spectrum of other social and commercial activity, particularly for rural Montana citizens and communities.

This year State Representative, and Democratic Whip, Julie French http://leg.mt.gov/css/Sessions/61st/leg_info.asp?HouseID=0&SessionID=94&LAWSID=5148 from Scobey, distinguished herself as the undisputed champion of sustainable broadband investment and economic development in rural Montana. Nemont Telephone Cooperative General Manager, Mike Kilgore, presented the MTA Award to Rep. French at Nemont’s Scobey, MT, headquarters.

When Julie learned last year that the federal broadband stimulus program might be used to build duplicate telecom networks which would threaten the viability of existing network investment in rural Montana, she jumped to the front of the line and led efforts to raise the consciousness of Montana communities, citizens and leaders about the potentially wasteful use of taxpayer money, and the disastrous consequences of misspent stimulus dollars. Such duplication, she argued, would devalue current, substantial, investment by Montana’s rural telecom providers in network infrastructure that already is hard to sustain. Further, it would drain resources for both current and future broadband deployment. Rates inevitably would rise, causing further erosion of network usage and eventually leading to a death spiral of increasing rates and decreasing investment. Certainly, that’s no formula for promoting rural economic development, Julie argued.

“Thanks to Julie’s efforts,” said MTA General Manager, Geoff Feiss, “people became aware that the broadband stimulus program can cause as much harm as good if it is not implemented properly.”

So far, at least in part, Julie’s efforts have proven successful. The first broadband stimulus dollars awarded in Montana went where Congress intended: to develop broadband capabilities in unserved areas—in Nemont’s service area in Northeast Montana. (The second announcement of stimulus awards is a mixed bag, with some money further funding deployment to unserved areas; but unfortunately, over $60 million of loans and grants appear to be misdirected to one of Montana’s least rural counties where a number of broadband providers already operate.)

The Montana Telecommunications Association is honored to recognize Julie’s tireless efforts to preserve and promote broadband investment in rural Montana. The inscription on the 2010 MTA Distinguished Leadership Award reads:

The Montana Telecommunications Association proudly presents the 2010 Distinguished Leadership Award to Representative Julie French, for her outstanding leadership and commitment to the economic development of Montana’s communities as demonstrated by her extraordinary efforts to promote long-term sustainable investment in advanced telecommunications infrastructure for the benefit of Montana’s business and residential consumers.

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Contact: Geoff Feiss, General Manager

Montana Telecommunications Association

208 North Montana Avenue, Suite 105

Helena, Montana 59601

406-442-4316 (office). 406-594-0424 (mobile)

[email protected]

About MTA: MTA represents rural telecommunications providers operating throughout Montana, employing hundreds of Montanans with premium salaries and benefits, investing tens of millions of dollars annually in telecom infrastructure, and contributing to Montana’s economy and the communities they serve. http://www.telecomassn.org