88R15208 CJM-D
 
  By: Ashby H.R. No. 412
 
 
 
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 House of Representatives 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 House
  of Representatives.