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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Members of the Texas Telephone Association are |
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gathering in Austin on February 28, 2023, to celebrate Texas Rural |
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Broadband Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Founded in 1905, TTA represents the state's local |
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exchange telephone companies and relies heavily on the volunteer |
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efforts of its member officers and directors who provide voice and |
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data service to rural Texas; the association's 46 rural |
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telecommunications providers include telephone cooperatives, small |
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family-owned companies, and multistate operations; and |
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WHEREAS, Covering almost half of the Lone Star State's land |
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area and a large portion of the Texas-Mexico border, TTA member |
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companies serve some 1.4 million rural Texas households and 2,200 |
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rural schools, colleges, government agencies, and other anchor |
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institutions; thousands of miles of fiber optic and wireline |
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facilities form the backbone of the rural Texas telecommunications |
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network, enabling voice and wireless calls, broadband, and a range |
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of additional advanced services; and |
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WHEREAS, TTA employs approximately 3,800 Texans in full-time |
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positions and creates thousands of jobs for contractors, materials |
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suppliers, and other rural Texas businesses; working tirelessly |
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during adversity, rural phone companies and their technicians have |
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helped ensure uninterrupted connections for rural Texans during the |
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challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; moreover, during Winter Storm |
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Uri in 2021, technicians braved dangerous conditions, often |
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traveling long distances to power remote switches with generators |
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and to check on the well-being of customers; and |
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WHEREAS, For well over a century, TTA has played an important |
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role in keeping rural Texans connected, and it is indeed a pleasure |
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to join in recognizing the association for its myriad |
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contributions; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby recognize February 28, 2023, as Texas Rural Broadband Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to all those associated with the Texas |
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Telephone Association sincere best wishes for continued success; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for TTA as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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Senate. |