ROB PORTMAN OHIO COMMITTEES: BUDGET ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES tinitcd ~tatcs ~cnatc WASHINGTON, DC 20510 FINANCE HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS Mr. Thomas Wheeler Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Dear Chairman Wheeler, Aprii!O, 2014 Received & Inspected APR 1 7 Z014 FCC Mall Room I write to bring to your attention the expression of interest submitted by Horizon Tel com (Horizon) through the FCC's Rural Broadband Experiments initiative, an opportunity for funding that Horizon hopes to use to deploy next-generation broadband networks within numerous counties in rural Appalachia, Ohio. I understand that FCC's initiative seeks to learn more about the impact of technology transitions on rural America, and Horizon believes it can be a valuable partner in helping accomplish that goal. In particular, Horizon believes their proposal would maximize the impact of the program by leveraging community resources and assembling stakeholders to further strengthen the capacity of Appalachia. Deployi~~ broa