-- Please forward as appropriate --->> - Steven Clift, Democracies Online Newswire, http://e-democracy.org/do 2003 RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONGRESS Sept 28-Oct 1 WASHINGTON, D.C. http://www.ruraltelecon.org/conference/index.php *** If you're concerned about rural vitality and rural-urban partnerships in the Internet Age, don't miss the third annual Rural Telecommunications Congress and conference, entitled "Rural Broadband: A Recommitment to America's Heartland" - Sept 28-Oct 1, 2003 at the Hyatt Regency Washington, just down the street from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. To get more information and to register, go to http://www.ruraltelecon.org/conference/index.php Register soon, as the cutoff for reduced rate hotel rooms at the Hyatt Regency is August 28, and the early-bird registration discount ends on Sept 1. Fall is a busy time in D.C., so rooms will go fast. This is the third annual Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC) conference and the first to be held right alongside the national policymakers in Congress. It is co-sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Rural Broadband Coalition. One of the greatest draws of the RTC conference is the extensive connections that attendees are able to make with each other because such a broad range of parties attend: community advocates, elected officials, broadband providers, regulators, and broadband users (including tele-medicine, e-government, education, and economic development). This year's RTC conference is organized into tracks based on the following communities of interest: * Infrastructure * Policy and Regulation * Tele-Health and Tele-Medicine * E-Government * Education * Community and Economic Development Keynote Speakers include * U.S. Senator Conrad Burns from Montana * Michael Copps, Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission * Robert Atkinson, Vice-President of the Progressive Policy Institute * Alan McAdams, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers In addition, we have scheduled over 16 general and concurrent sessions on topics ranging from e-government to tele-health and telemedicine. A sampling of sessions includes: * Andrew Cohill on community networking * Harry Roesch on demand aggregation strategies * Judith Sparrow and U.S. Dept. of Commerce Technology Opportunities Program grant recipients Again - register soon (http://www.ruraltelecon.org/conference/index.php) and book your room now! Rooms in DC can be hard to find in the fall season. For more information visit the site: http://www.ruraltelecon.org/conference/index.php or call Jane Leonard, 2003 Program Chair at 651-645-9403 or jane@communitytechnologyadvisors.com