AMY KLOBUCHAR 
MINNESOTA 
COMMITIEES: 
AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, 
AND FORESTRY 
COMMERCE, SCIENCE, 
AND TRANSPORTATION 
JOINT ECONOMIC COMM ITIEE 
JUDICIARY 
RULES AND ADM INISTRATION 
The Honorable Tom Wheeler 
Chairman 
tlnitrd ~tatrs ~rnatr 
WASHINGTON, DC 20510 
May 20,2014 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 lih Street S.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
I am writing in support of your efforts to include rural broadband experiments as part of your 
January 31 , 2014 Technology Transitions Order. Broadband access should be available to all 
Americans, regardless of where they live. I request that you give careful consideration to the 64 
expressions of interest from rural Minnesota telecommunications providers. 
With a helping hand from the FCC to boost broadband access and deployment, I believe that 
these proposed experiments will result in the discovery of new and efficient ways of providing 
broadband access to small towns and rural areas. Allowing rural providers to experiment and 
find local solutions to improve access to broadband will ensure that businesses, families and 
students can utilize these connections to help boost local economies and compete in a global 
marketplace. 
As our legacy phone systems age and we transition to a digital era it is critically important to 
bring broadband to all comers of the country. The increasing importance of broadband has a 
direct impact on our nation's competitiveness, economy, and national security. Just as innovative 
entities in Minnesota worked to bring electricity and telephone service to every home in the 
1930s, we must now ensure in today's 21st century economy that every home and business has 
access to high speed, affordable internet. 
Thank you for your efforts to expand rural broadband internet access and your careful 
consideration of the expressions of interest submitted by Minnesota entities for the rural 
broadband experiments. 
Sincerely, 
~ lL\~ buchar 
United States Senator 
519