Wniteb ~tates (!Congress WASHINGTON, DC 20510 AprilS, 2014 Chairman Thomas Wheeler Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington, DC 20554 Dear Chairman Wheeler: We are writing to express our support for North Carolina's efforts to be a showcase state for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the FCC works on implementation of the ConnectEd initiative and the E-rate program. As you learned recently from Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest and State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson, North Carolina has invested heavily in digital learning since 2005. Over $150 million in state funds have served as a match to E-rate funds distributed to the State's public school districts and public charter schools. As a result, 97% of North Carolina's K-12 schools wi ll be served with dedicated fiber connections by July 2014. While our state has made great strides in building critical infrastructure, only 22% of students have the "desktop access" they will need to take full advantage of digital learning opportunities. Since 2005, a bipartisan commitment has been made by all the relevant policymaking bodies in North Carolina, from the Governor, General Assembly and others, to address this challenge by fully integrating digi tal content within North Carolina's classrooms. Improving the internal wired and wireless networks within our schools is now a key focus. As you continue your implementation of the E-rate program, it is clear that the nation would benefit from a select few states serving as models to others, demonstrating the planning, policy framework and sustainable funding required for the K-12 transition to digital learn ing. North Carolina has positioned itself to be just that model. We look forward to working with you. Thank you for your kind attention and consideration. Sincerely, ~&-- Richard Burr United States Senator ·- ~Ha! j~ Umted States Senator Member of Congress ~on:~ Member of Congress Renee Ellmers Member of Congress Richard Hudson Member of Congress L ?_/,/.~~ Robert Pittenger Member of Congress David Price Member of Congress ~hv:~ Mike Mcintyre Member of Congress Patrick McHenry Member of Congress 't¥JI}?.L ~ Mark Meadows Member of Congress