CORY GARDNER 4TH DISTRICT, COLORADO 213 CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515 12021 22&-4676 ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE ENERGY AND POWER SU8COMMIT1'EE ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY SUBCOMMIT1'EE OVERSIGHT ANO INVESTIGATIONS SUBCOMMITrEE (fCongre5'5' of tbt llniteb ~tate5' ~oU~t of l\tprt~tntatibt~ _asbington, 1Dctr 20515-0604 April 18, 2012 123 NORTH COLLEGE AVENUE, SUITE 220 FORT COLLINS, CO 80524 (970) 221-7110 822 7TH STREET. #9 GREELEY. CO S0631 (970) 351-6007 301 5TH STREET LAMAR, CO S1052 (7191931-4003 109'12 SOUTH 3RD STREET STERLING. CO S0751 (9701 522~203 Honorable Julius Genachowski Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Dear Chairman Genachowski: It is of utmost importance to reform the Universal Service Fund (USF) and intercarrier compensation system (ICC) to ensure fiscal responsibility while providing much needed services to rural communities. These programs have allowed rural communities to connect with urban centers when they would not have otherwise been able to do so, and it is important that the USF continue to provide connectivity to remote areas which would be unserved without it. Ensuring that these communities are properly connected plays a vital role in economic security and job creation, particularly for small, fragile economies. Broadband connectivity to rural communities will foster local and national economic growth as well as competitiveness in the global market. We support efforts by the FCC that carefully and responsibly provide all Americans access to the full level of services in broadband technology. However, we are concerned about the processes the FCC has used to reform USF, especially when regulatory transparency is so important to broadband investment in rural communities in Colorado. When reforming something as important as this to rural communities, we ask that the FCC move forward with openness and transparency. last month, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the FCC Process Reform Act to improve the processes of the agency. In response, the FCC should reflect on concerns regarding the most recent FCC order and avoid last-minute changes, improve transparency, and enable providers to see the proposed rules and analyze their impact on investment. We urge the FCC to provide meaningful opportunities for rural communications providers to participate in discussions on new reforms, and we ask that you give them adequate time to comply with any orders that have the potential to affect access for rural communities. ~;;.;=: Scott Tipton Member of Congress (CO-3) PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 0491