FEDERAL COMMUN ICATIONS CO M MISSION WAS HI NGTON OFF I CE OF T H E CH A IR MAN The Honorable Maria Cantwell United States Senate 311 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Cantwell: October 24, 2014 Thank you for your letter regarding the implementation of certain aspects of Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF II). In your letter, you express concerns that the overall mission ofthe CAF II program could be endangered ifthe Commission increases the current broadband speed benchmark for program recipients to 10 Mbps downstream /1 Mbps upstream without allowing flexibility in other elements of program, particularly with respect to the length of the term of support. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission1s review. The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure that consumers and businesses in rural America have the same opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United States of the 21st century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas of states such as Washington, within the confmes of our Connect America budget, all while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers, and a climate for increased broadband expansion. In April of this year, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report and Order to move forward with Phase II of the Connect America Fund for price-cap carriers. In addition, in an associated Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Commission sought comment on a number of the issues you raise, including revising the current broadband performance obligations to require minimum speeds of 10 Mbps downstream, and applying the same performance obligations to all recipients ofPhase II support and rate-of-return carriers. The FNPRM also seeks comment on proposals to allow CAF II recipients more flexibility in meeting their performance obligations, including whether to extend the term of support for CAF II recipients, and permit recipients to substitute locations in partially served census blocks for locations in the unserved census block for which they receive support. We have received a robust record on these issues, and they are under consideration by Commission staff. You also expressed your concern that the Commission ensure that eligible households not be excluded from CAF II funding. We take this concern very seriously. We are currently finalizing the list of census blocks that are eligible for support. To ensure that this list is as accurate as possible, we have a challenge process in place where parties can identify alleged problems with the broadband map. As part of that process, the Commission has received a total Page 2-The Honorable Maria Cantwell of 178,335 challenges from parties on the served/unserved status of census blocks. Commission staff is currently reviewing these challenges and seeking public comment on the challenges. We intend to make sure that a fair challenge process is conducted so that all eligible unserved areas qualify for funding. I welcome a dialogue with stakeholders as to how best to accomplish our shared objectives. I look forward to working with you as we continue reforming and modernizing the Universal Service Fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Universal Service Fund - to ensure that all Americans have access to robust voice and broadband services. Please let me know if 1 can be of any further assistance. Tom Wheeler FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Suzan DelBene U.S. House ofRepresentatives 318 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Representative DelBene: October 24, 2014 Thank you for your letter regarding the implementation of certain aspects of Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF II). In your letter, you express concerns that the overall mission of the CAF II program could be endangered if the Commission increases the current broadband speed benchmark for program recipients to 10 Mbps downstream 11 Mbps upstream without allowing flexibility in other elements of program, particularly with respect to the length of the term of support. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure that consumers and businesses in rural America have the same opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United States of the 21st century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas of states such as Washington, within the confmes of our Connect America budget, all while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers, and a climate for increased broadband expansion. In April of this year, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report and Order to move forward with Phase II of the Connect America Fund for price-cap carriers. In addition, in an associated Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Commission sought comment on a number of the issues you raise, including revising the current broadband performance obligations to require minimum speeds of 10 Mbps downstream, and applying the same performance obligations to all recipients of Phase II support and rate-of-return carriers. The FNPRM also seeks comment on proposals to allow CAF II recipients more flexibility in meeting their performance obligations, including whether to extend the term of support for CAF II recipients, and permit recipients to substitute locations in partially served census blocks for locations in the unserved census block for which they receive support. We have received a robust record on these issues, and they are under consideration by Commission staff. You also expressed your concern that the Commission ensure that eligible households not be excluded from CAF II funding. We take this concern very seriously . We are currently fmalizing the list of census blocks that are eligible for support. To ensure that this list is as accurate as possible, we have a challenge process in place where parties can identify alleged problems with the broadband map . As part of that process, the Commission has received a total Page 2-The Honorable Suzan DelBene of 178,335 challenges from parties on the served/unserved status of census blocks. Commission staff is currently reviewing these challenges and seeking public comment on the challenges. We intend to make sure that a fair challenge process is conducted so that all eligible unserved areas qualify for funding. I welcome a dialogue with stakeholders as to how best to accomplish our shared objectives. I look forward to working with you as we continue reforming and modernizing the Universal Service Fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Universal Service Fund- to ensure that all Americans have access to robust voice and broadband services. Please let me know if 1 can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Tom Wheeler FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Denny Heck U.S. House ofRepresentatives 425 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Representative Heck: October 24, 2014 Thank you for your letter regarding the implementation of certain aspects of Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF II). In your letter, you express concerns that the overall mission of the CAF II program could be endangered if the Commission increases the current broadband speed benchmark for program recipients to 10 Mbps downstream /1 Mbps upstream without allowing flexibility in other elements of program, particularly with respect to the length of the term of support. Your views are ve1y important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure that consumers and businesses in rural America have the same opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United States of the 21st century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas of states such as Washington, within the confmes of our Connect America budget, all while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers, and a climate for increased broadband expansion. In April of this year, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report and Order to move forward with Phase II of the Connect America Fund for price-cap cmriers. In addition, in an associated Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Commission sought comment on a number of the issues you raise, including revising the current broadband performance obligations to require minimum speeds of 10 Mbps downstream, and applying the same performance obligations to all recipients of Phase II support and rate-of-return carriers. The FNPRM also seeks comment on proposals to allow CAF II recipients more flexibility in meeting their performance obligations, including whether to extend the term of support for CAF II recipients, and permit recipients to substitute locations in partially served census blocks for locations in the unserved census block for which they receive support. We have received a robust record on these issues, and they are under consideration by Commission staff. You also expressed your concern that the Commission ensure that eligible households not be excluded from CAF II funding. We take this concern very seriously. We are currently finalizing the list of census blocks that are eligible for suppmi. To ensure that this list is as accurate as possible, we have a challenge process in place where parties can identifY alleged problems with the broadband map. As part of that process, the Commission has received a total Page 2-The Honorable Denny Heck of 178,335 challenges from parties on the served/unserved status of census blocks. Commission staff is currently reviewing these challenges and seeking public comment on the challenges. We intend to make sure that a fair challenge process is conducted so that all eligible unserved areas qualify for funding. I welcome a dialogue with stakeholders as to how best to accomplish our shared objectives. I look forward to working with you as we continue reforming and modernizing the Universal Service Fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Universal Service Fund- to ensure that all Americans have access to robust voice and broadband services. Please let me know if 1 can be of any further assistance. - Tom Wheeler FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE O F T H E CH AI R MA N The Honorable Derek Kilmer U.S. House of Representatives 1429 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Representative Kilmer: October 24, 2014 Thank you for your letter regarding the implementation of certain aspects of Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF II). In your letter, you express concerns that the overall mission ofthe CAF II program could be endangered ifthe Commission increases the current broadband speed benchmark for program recipients to 10 Mbps downstream 11 Mbps upstream without allowing flexibility in other elements of program, particularly with respect to the length of the term of support. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure that consumers and businesses in rural America have the same opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United States of the 21 st century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas of states such as Washington, within the confmes of our Connect America budget, all while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers, and a climate for increased broadband expansion. In April of this year, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report and Order to move forward with Phase II of the Connect America Fund for price-cap carriers. In addition, in an associated Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Commission sought comment on a number of the issues you raise, including revising the current broadband performance obligations to require minimum speeds of 10 Mbps downstream, and applying the same performance obligations to all recipients of Phase II support and rate-of-return carriers. The FNPRM also seeks comment on proposals to allow CAF II recipients more flexibility in meeting their performance obligations, including whether to extend the term of support for CAF II recipients, and permit recipients to substitute locations in partially served census blocks for locations in the unserved census block for which they receive support. We have received a robust record on these issues, and they are under consideration by Commission staff. You also expressed your concern that the Commission ensure that eligible households not be excluded from CAF II funding. We take this concern very seriously . We are currently finalizing the list of census blocks that are eligible for support. To ensure that this list is as accurate as possible, we have a challenge process in place where parties can identify alleged problems with the broadband map. As part of that process, the Commission has received a total Page 2-The Honorable Derek Kilmer of 178,335 challenges from parties on the served/unserved status of census blocks. Commission staff is currently reviewing these challenges and seeking public comment on the challenges. We intend to make sure that a fair challenge process is conducted so that all eligible unserved areas qualify for funding. I welcome a dialogue with stakeholders as to how best to accomplish our shared objectives. I look forward to working with you as we continue reforming and modernizing the Universal Service Fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Universal Service Fund- to ensure that all Americans have access to robust voice and broadband services. Please let me know if 1 can be of any further assistance. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS CO M MISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF T H E CH A I R MAN The Honorable Rick Larsen U.S. House of Representatives 2113 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Representative Larsen: October 24, 2014 Thank you for your letter regarding the implementation of certain aspects of Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF II). In your letter, you express concerns that the overall mission of the CAF II program could be endangered if the Commission increases the current broadband speed benchmark for program recipients to 10 Mbps downstream 11 Mbps upstream without allowing flexibility in other elements of program, particularly with respect to the length of the term of support. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission1S review. The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure that consumers and businesses in rural America have the same opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active patiicipants in the United States of the 21st century . We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broad band experiences to rural areas of states such as Washington, within the confmes of our Connect America budget, all while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers, and a climate for increased broadband expansion. In April of this year, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report and Order to move forward with Phase II of the Connect America Fund for price-cap carriers. In addition, in an associated Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Commission sought comment on a number of the issues you raise, including revising the current broadband performance obligations to require minimum speeds of 10 Mbps downstream, and applying the same performance obligations to all recipients of Phase II support and rate-of-return carriers. The FNPRM also seeks comment on proposals to allow CAF II recipients more flexibility in meeting their performance obligations, including whether to extend the term of support for CAF II recipients, and permit recipients to substitute locations in partially served census blocks for locations in the unserved census block for which they receive support. We have received a robust record on these issues, and they are under consideration by Commission staff. You also expressed your concern that the Commission ensure that eligible households not be excluded from CAF II funding. We take this concern very seriously . We are currently fmalizing the list of census blocks that are eligible for support. To ensure that this list is as accurate as possible, we have a challenge process in place where parties can identify alleged problems with the broadband map. As part of that process, the Commission has received a total Page 2-The Honorable Rick Larsen of 178,335 challenges from parties on the served/unserved status of census blocks. Commission staff is currently reviewing these challenges and seeking public comment on the challenges. We intend to make sure that a fair challenge process is conducted so that all eligible unserved areas qualify for funding. I welcome a dialogue with stakeholders as to how best to accomplish our shared objectives. I look forward to working with you as we continue reforming and modernizing the Universal Service Fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Universal Service Fund- to ensure that all Americans have access to robust voice and broadband services. Please let me know if 1 can be of any further assistance. ~'?-Tom Wheeler FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS CO M MISSION WASHINGTON OFF ICE O F TH E CH A I RMAN The Honorable Patty Murray United States Senate 173 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Murray: October 24, 2014 Thank you for your letter regarding the implementation of certain aspects of Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF II). In your letter, you express concerns that the overall mission ofthe CAF II program could be endangered ifthe Commission increases the current broadband speed benchmark for program recipients to 10 Mbps downstream /1 Mbps upstream without allowing flexibility in other elements of program, particularly with respect to the length of the term of support. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as pati of the Commission's review. The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure that consumers and businesses in rural America have the same opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United States of the 21st century . We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas of states such as Washington, within the confmes of our Connect America budget, all while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers, and a climate for increased broadband expansion. In April of this year, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report and Order to move forward with Phase II of the Connect America Fund for price-cap caniers. In addition, in an associated Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Commission sought comment on a number of the issues you raise, including revising the cunent broadband performance obligations to require minimum speeds of 10 Mbps downstream, and applying the same performance obligations to all recipients of Phase II support and rate-of-return caniers. The FNPRM also seeks comment on proposals to allow CAF II recipients more flexibility in meeting their performance obligations, including whether to extend the term of support for CAF II recipients, and permit recipients to substitute locations in partially served census blocks for locations in the unserved census block for which they receive support. We have received a robust record on these issues, and they are under consideration by Commission staff. You also expressed your concern that the Commission ensure that eligible households not be excluded from CAF II funding. We take this concern very seriously . We are cunently fmalizing the list of census blocks that are eligib le for support. To ensure that this list is as accurate as possible, we have a challenge process in place where parties can identifY alleged problems with the broadband map . As part of that process, the Commission has received a total Page 2-The Honorable Patty Murray of 178,335 challenges from parties on the served/unserved status of census blocks. Commission staff is currently reviewing these challenges and seeking public comment on the challenges. We intend to make sure that a fair challenge process is conducted so that all eligible unserved areas qualify for funding. I welcome a dialogue with stakeholders as to how best to accomplish our shared objectives. I look forward to working with you as we continue reforming and modernizing the Universal Service Fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Universal Service Fund- to ensure that all Americans have access to robust voice and broadband services. Please let me know if 1 can be of any further assistance. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Adam Smith U.S. House ofRepresentatives 2264 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Representative Smith: October 24, 2014 Thank you for your letter regarding the implementation of certain aspects of Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF II). In your letter, you express concerns that the overall mission of the CAF II program could be endangered if the Commission increases the current broadband speed benchmark for program recipients to 10 Mbps downstream /1 Mbps upstream without allowing flexibility in other elements of program, particularly with respect to the length of the term of support. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. The universal service program is one of the most impottant tools at our disposal to ensure that consumers and businesses in rural America have the same opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United States of the 21 st century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost progran1 to ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas of states such as Washington, within the confmes of our Connect America budget, all while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers, and a climate for increased broadband expansion. In April of this year, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report and Order to move forward with Phase II of the Connect America Fund for price-cap carriers. In addition, in an associated Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Commission sought comment on a number of the issues you raise, including revising the current broadband performance obligations to require minimum speeds of 10 Mbps downstream, and applying the same performance obligations to all recipients of Phase II support and rate-of-return carriers. The FNPRM also seeks comment on proposals to allow CAF II recipients more flexibility in meeting their performance obligations, including whether to extend the term of support for CAF II recipients, and permit recipients to substitute locations in partially served census blocks for locations in the unserved census block for which they receive support. We have received a robust record on these issues, and they are under consideration by Commission staff. You also expressed your concern that the Commission ensure that eligible households not be excluded from CAF II funding. We take this concern very seriously. We are currently fmalizing the list of census blocks that are eligible for support. To ensure that this list is as accurate as possible, we have a challenge process in place where parties can identifY alleged problems with the broadband map. As part of that process, the Commission has received a total Page 2-The Honorable Adam Smith of 178,335 challenges from parties on the served/unserved status of census blocks. Commission staff is currently reviewing these challenges and seeking public comment on the challenges. We intend to make sure that a fair challenge process is conducted so that all eligible unserved areas qualify for funding. I welcome a dialogue with stakeholders as to how best to accomplish our shared objectives. I look forward to working with you as we continue reforming and modernizing the Universal Service Fund high-cost program- as well as other components of the Universal Service Fund- to ensure that all Americans have access to robust voice and broadband services. Please let me know if 1 can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Tom Wheeler