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The Honorable Tom Wheeler 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 1 th Street, Southwest 
Washington, D.C. 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
October 7, 2014 
Broadband Internet access has become an essential part of the economic and social fabric in 
many rural communities, as a tool to build businesses, apply for jobs, enhance educational 
opportunities, and connect to friends and relatives. While our nation has made great strides in 
expanding broadband infrastructure, one-third of rural Americans still do not have home access 
to broadband Internet. This not only affects our constituents seeking a job or starting their own 
business, but also students that are looking to get ahead in their education and patients using tele­
health services. 
Phase II of the Connect America Fund ("CAF II") offers an opportunity to bring broadband 
connections to millions of Americans in rural communities - including many throughout 
Wisconsin- who wouldn't otherwise benefit from this access. CAF II also represents the final 
phase of Universal Service reform for many rural areas, and its rules will effectively determine, 
for years to come, the level of rural connectivity and the quality of broadband access. This 
includes the ambitious goal of more than doubling promised download speeds from 4 Mbps to 10 
Mbps. 
If the Commission advances new requirements without allowing the appropriate level of 
flexibility in other elements ofCAF II, however, it may fall short of the program's overall 
mission. First, the CAF II funding period should be extended from the current 5 years to 1 0 years 
to allow adequate time for the construction of the higher-capacity network. Next, the 
Commission should use the same 10 Mbps standard when identifying broadband availability 
from competitors, or else communities with just 4 Mbps will be left behind. Finally, providers 
should be given flexibility to substitute high cost locations with unserved locations in partially 
served areas, to better reach as many people as possible within CAF's limited funding 
framework. 
Access to broadband Internet service is no longer a luxury for rural America- it is a. necessity. 
Despite years of federal efforts to overcome the digital divide, more work needs to be done. 
These policy reforms to CAF II will help achieve this goal and will maximize CAF II funding. 
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Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to working with you to increase 
broadband access in rural America. We ask that you provide a response with your views on these 
proposals by October 22nd. 
Sincerely, 
an P. Duffy 
Member of Congress 
Mcfii------
Member of Congress 
12-~ 
Ron Kind 
Member of Congress 
Thomas E. Petri 
Member of Congress