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The Honorable Tom Wheeler 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 121h Street, SW 
Washington, DC 20536 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
September 10, 20 14 
As you recognize, access to broadband internet is essential to the continued economic and social 
vitality of rural communities, where it provides critical tools for citizens to start businesses, 
obtain a quality education and keep in touch with family and friends. Robust broadband service 
enables businesses in small towns and remote areas to compete in the global marketplace. 
Without it, the same communities risk being left behind in today's technology-centric economy. 
Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF II) is an incredible opportunity to bring state-of­
the-art high speed, fiber-fed broadband to millions of Americans, including thousands of Granite 
Staters, who wouldn't otherwise receive access to an increasingly essential communications 
network. Rural communities across the nation are counting on the Commission and CAF II to 
deliver broadband connections to residents that lack service and access to the expanding digital 
economy. 
Unfortunately, the Universal Service Fund has failed New Hampshire. According to the most 
recent FCC statistics from 2012, New Hampshire residents contributed $40.5 million to the USF 
while receiving only $15 .I million in return. This is a return of 3 7 cents for every dollar we 
contribute, while many communities in the state remain unserved. We are writing today to 
emphasize how important it is to ensure that the final details of CAF II live up to its promise. 
While we applaud the Commission's proposal to increase download speeds to 10 Mbps, we also 
encourage the Commission to allow an appropriate level of flexibility in other elements of CAF 
II to ensure that the program's overall mission is not compromised by such a significant increase 
in speed requirements. 
We encourage the Commission to build on a number of constructive ideas identified in the June 
10 FNPRM that may bolster efforts to achieve a faster network without exceeding the CAF II 
budget. In particular, should the Commission increase speed requirements, we believe that the 
CAF II funding period should also be extended to allow adequate time for the construction of the 
higher-capacity network. We also urge the Commission to use the same download standard it 
will require of CAF II recipients when identifying broadband availability from competitors, as 
any discrepancy could leave behind communities that meet only the 4 Mbps standard. As the 
Commission moves forward on the implementation of CAF II, it must remain focused on the 
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The Honorable Tom Wheeler 
Page 2 
September 10,2014 
goal of expanding access to quality broadband connections while efficiently distributing its 
resources. 
We encourage you to verify that the FCC is targeting support to unserved areas where broadband 
would not otherwise be available. Now that we are in the fmal phase, we hope the CAF II 
standards can reach those unserved customers, and also require alternative broadband providers 
to meet a reasonable standard of verification before depriving a community ofCAF II support. 
Despite the fact that high speed broadband is increasingly available in urban communities, we 
continue to hear from constituents in rural areas who seek assistance obtaining broadband service 
in their homes. CAF II represents an important step toward meeting the needs of these 
individuals and is an important opportunity to support rural economies in New Hampshire and 
across the nation. 
Thank you for considering our concerns. We look forward to working with you. 
Jeanne Shaheen 
United States Senator 
Sincerely, 
A~1:.~~ 
Member of Congress 
United States Senator 
Carol Shea-Porter 
Member of Congress