Washington, DC – Yesterday, in a letter to House and Senate Leadership, eighteen wireless carriers and stakeholders urged Congress to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Network (“STCN”) Reimbursement Program. The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) recently completed its application review, showing a shortfall of $3.08 billion. CCA thanks letter signatories and urges Congress to provide additional resources to ensure success of the program. In a statement, CCA President & CEO Steven K. Berry said, “The letter signatories are exactly correct – for the STCN Reimbursement Program to be a success, sufficient resources must be made available. As Chairwoman Rosenworcel told Congress, there is a shortfall of $3.08 billion, and I strongly urge Congress to allocate additional funding. The FCC has pro-rated available funds as directed by law, leaving affected carriers in a hole they may never be able to climb out of.” “This is not only a national security issue, but it is an important consumer issue as well. Failure to make up for the funding shortfall threatens the availability of advanced communications to residents and visitors in large parts of the country, especially in rural areas – an outcome that no one wants to see. I strongly encourage Congress to act immediately to help secure support to fully fund the program and provide the FCC with the necessary funds to address the current shortfall. Time is of the essence, and CCA stands ready to assist in any way we can.” About CCA CCA is the nation’s leading association for competitive wireless providers and stakeholders across the United States. Members range from small, rural carriers serving fewer than 5,000 customers to regional and nationwide providers serving millions of customers, as well as vendors and suppliers that provide products and services throughout the wireless communications ecosystem. Visit www.ccamobile.org . # # #