FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar 
United States Senate 
302 Hart Senate Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20510 
Dear Senator Klobuchar: 
January 24, 2014 
Thank you for your letter expressing concern about the effect of the Commission's 
Quantile Regression Analysis (QRA) on rural carriers. I appreciate your views and will ensure 
that your letter will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the 
Commission's review. 
As I have made clear since the day I arrived at the Commission, one of the core elements 
of communications policy that must guide the work of the FCC is the critical need for all 
Americans to have access to high-speed broadband networks. Access denied is opportunity 
denied. To that end, I am a firm believer in the importance of universal service, and I agree that 
the Commission must make timely decisions in order to provide regulatory certainty and create 
incentives to further efficient investment in broadband networks. We must also be open to 
modifications to the reforms if it is clear that particular rules are not serving their intended 
purpose. 
To that point, as I stated during the recent House Communications and Technology 
Subcommittee hearing on FCC Oversight, I have directed the Wireline Competition Bureau to 
prepare an order for the Commission's consideration that would eliminate the QRA. 
I look forward to continuing the work of reforming and modernizing the universal service 
fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Fund- and to working with 
stakeholders, including rural carriers and consumers, to ensure that all Americans have access to 
robust voice and broadband services. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further 
assistance. 
Sincerely, 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable AI Franken 
United States Senate 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
January 24, 2014 
309 Hart Senate Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20510 
Dear Senator Franken: 
Thank you for your letter expressing concern about the effect of the Commission's 
Quantile Regression Analysis (QRA) on rural carriers. I appreciate your views and will ensure 
that your letter will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the 
Commission's review. 
As I have made clear since the day I arrived at the Commission, one of the core elements 
of communications policy that must guide the work of the FCC is the critical need for all 
Americans to have access to high-speed broadband networks. Access denied is opportunity 
denied. To that end, I am a firm believer in the importance of universal service, and I agree that 
the Commission must make timely decisions in order to provide regulatory certainty and create 
incentives to further efficient investment in broadband networks. We must also be open to 
modifications to the reforms if it is clear that particular rules are not serving their intended 
purpose. 
To that point, as I stated during the recent House Communications and Technology 
Subcommittee hearing on FCC Oversight, I have directed the Wireline Competition Bureau to 
prepare an order for the Commission's consideration that would eliminate the QRA. 
I look forward to continuing the work of reforming and modernizing the universal service 
fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Fund- and to working with 
stakeholders, including rural carriers and consumers, to ensure that all Americans have access to 
robust voice and broadband services. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know ifl can be of any further 
assistance. 
Sincerely,