DigitalBridge Communications Corp. (DBC), a private operator of WiMAX 4G broadband networks in underserved regions, has signed a distribution agreement with the not-for-profit National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC).
The agreement gives NRTC members the opportunity to expand next-generation broadband service to underserved and unserved areas in rural America. NRTC has also made a significant investment in DigitalBridge, the terms of which are not being disclosed. With the investment in DBC, NRTC acquires a seat on the company’s board of directors.
“The Administration and Congress have made the expansion of broadband a national priority, and it’s a goal that we embrace,” said Bob Phillips, NRTC President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our nearly 1,500 members have a commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities they serve and have demonstrated the ability to deliver advanced technologies to their consumer members. It was an NRTC investment that delivered DIRECTV satellite television service to rural America in places where there was no cable or other alternative to ‘rabbit-ears’ on top of the TV or an antennae on the roof. It was NRTC that provided the urgently-needed funding to get the WildBlue satellite Internet service off the ground.”
“Broadband is now a utility — like electricity and phone service. Expanding the availability of high-speed Internet access is key to closing the digital divide, creating jobs and spurring economic development in rural America,” said Phillips. “WiMAX can also provide a solution for electric cooperative members who are implementing smart grid technologies that rely on enhanced communications capabilities,” he added.
http://www.digitalbridgecommunications.com
