Last month, Federal Communication Commission's newly confirmed Chairman Ajit Pai went "On The Road" on an unprecedented tour through the industrial Midwest and visited Armstrong on Day One.

His week long trip took him through Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cleveland, and Detroit. On the first day, he gave his first policy address since becoming Chairman at Carnegie-Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute in Pittsburgh then stopped at Armstrong's super head-end in Zelienople, PA. The Chairman toured the facility and chatted with Armstrong executives, learning about the company, history, products and services, and the efforts of employees and how they impact the communities Armstrong serves. The Armstrong team learned about his plans as FCC Chairman and his regulatory philosophy. Pai's pride in his own rural roots from Kansas were apparent.

He remains enthusiastic about the region which built our country, yet showed concern that many in these communities feel left behind and are worried about the future of our nation's former industrial powerhouses. He remarked, "Some still don't think of them as much more than fading tributes to the Rust Belt's legacy. But I had a feeling there was a lot I could learn there - and I was right. There's a sense of hope in the places I visited, a sense driven by a determination to adjust to the changing economy and to pursue the opportunities presented by the digital age."

Armstrong joins Chariman Pai in renewed "determination to pursue policies that will promote broadband deployment and bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans, not just those living on the coasts."