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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  December  11,  2003  Linda  L.  Haller,  (202)  418-  1408  or 
 Linda.  Haller@  fcc.  gov 


 “MAKING  THE  RURAL  CONNECTION”  FCC  RURAL  SATELLITE  FORUM 
 TO  BE  HELD  JANUARY  27,  2004 
 Washington,  D.  C.  -  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  will  hold  a  Satellite  Rural  Forum  on  January  27,  2004,  focusing  on  satellites  serving  rural  America. 


 The  all-  day  event,  which  is  open  to  the  public,  will  be  held  at  the  FCC  headquarters  building,  445  12  th  Street,  SW,  Washington,  D.  C.  starting  at  10:  00am.  FCC  Chairman  Michael  K. 
 Powell  will  open  the  forum. 
 The  forum  will  feature  satellite-  based  communications  systems  serving  rural  areas  of  the  United  States.  It  will  include  four  panels  of  experts  and  providers  as  well  as  demonstrations  and 
 exhibits.  The  event  will  highlight  specific  consumer  applications: 


 o  telemedicine  and  distance  learning,  o  public  safety  and  homeland  security, 
 o  agriculture  and  farming,  and  o  broadband  access,  information  and  mass  media  entertainment. 


 The  forum  is  designed  to  educate  the  public  and  users  about  the  availability  of  services,  encourage  development  of  new  and  innovative  services  and  programs  as  well  as  explore 
 economic  approaches  to  serving  the  communications  needs  of  rural  America.  It  will  include  company  representatives,  government  officials  and  users. 


 The  FCC  International  Bureau,  Consumer  and  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau  and  Office  of  Strategic  Planning  are  coordinating  this  event.  Further  information  is  available  on  the  FCC 
 website  at:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov/  cgb/  rural/  or  you  may  contact  International  Bureau  representatives  Douglas  Webbink  at  202-  418-  1494,  douglas.  webbink@  fcc.  gov,  or  Mark  Young 
 at  202-  418-  0762,  mark.  young@  fcc.  gov. 


 --  FCC  -- 
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