WASHINGTON, August 26, 2004—The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a sponsor of RuralTeleCon, the annual conference of the Rural Telecommunications Congress, to be held in Spokane, Washington, October 10–13.

For the past eight years, RuralTeleCon has been the premier venue for understanding the issues surrounding the deployment and use of advanced telecommunications in rural communities. Each year, the event focuses on a critical issue facing rural communities and residents as they use telecommunications for local development. This year's theme is "Putting Broadband to Work."

Over 400 attendees from all 50 states and several foreign countries are expected at the event. Panels and speakers will discuss the advantages broadband can bring to community network development, strategic planning, homeland security, telemedicine, distance learning, e-government, e-commerce, and entrepreneurship.

Featured speakers will include U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA); Hilda Legg, administrator of the Rural Utilities Service; Anthony Wilhelm, director of the Technology Opportunities Program; James L. Baker, chief of the Information Technologies Group of the Pennsylvania SEDA–Council of Governments; Dane Deutsch, president and CEO of DCS Netlink, and Pete Adams, CIO of DCS Netlink; Andrew Cohill, president and CEO of Design Nine, Inc.; K. Dane Snowden, chief of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau; Morgan Baldwin, president of the Mississippi Economic Growth Alliance and Point of Presence; and Harry Roesch, ARC senior telecommunications adviser.

Registration information is available at www.ruraltelecon.org. A discounted registration fee is available through September 10.