so with that, join me in welcoming david rettle, please. >> well, thanks, randy. i am proud to be here speaking today, and i would also like to thank you for single-handedly keeping the hashtag alive. it has been some time since we used that on capitol hill, so i'm glad to see it is still kicking. i have appreciated free state's work for many years on the issues. certainly the value you have in bringing a robust and intelligent debate to some of these issues, so thank you for having me. today's theme is timely and fits well with our goals at ntia, which is to expand spectrum, support developmentment of 5g and help connect all-americans to the internet. this administration has made clear that connecting all-americans, especially those in rural areas, is a major priority. we know that too many americans still lack access to reliable, affordable broadband internet service. at mtia we are working on this problem by helping communities gain access to technology that can improve health and education, promote economic development and unleash american innovation. our broa