JOHN HOEVEN 
NORTH DAKOTA 
338 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING 
TELEPHONE: {202) 224-2561 
FAX: (202) 224-7999 tlnitcd ~tatcs ~cnetc 
hoeven.senate.gov 
The Hon. Tom Wheeler 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th Street, SW 
Washington, DC 20554-0005 
Dear Chairman Wheeler, 
WASHINGTON, DC 20510 
October 22,2014 
COMMITTEES: 
AGRICULTURE 
APPROPRIATIONS 
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES 
INDIAN AFFAIRS 
Received c\ inspected 
FCC Mail Room 
111° 
Access to reliable broadband Internet is an essential service for modern Americans. Many people 
rely on it to effectively communicate with their communities, access critical information, operate a 
business, and further educate themselves, among other things. These services are especially crucial for 
Americans who live in rural communities. As we move further in to the 21st century, the ability of rural 
Americans to have dependable Internet access will become increasingly important. 
It is critically important that the millions of Americans who live in rural communities receive high­
speed and reliable Internet connections. This transition of the Universal Service Fund to the Connect 
America Fund shows that the FCC recognizes how important broadband Internet is to the economic 
development of rural America. 
Accordingly, as the Connect America Fund continues through Phase II, I encourage the FCC to 
continue its diligence in making sure that the rural communities are best served under its proposed rules. 
It is important that we increase the downstream speeds from 4 megabits per second (mbps) to 10mbps as 
proposed by the FCC. However, I believe this warrants an extension of Phase II's timeframe from 5 years 
to 10 years, which will allow the FCC to accurately measure the population of unserved areas and enable 
providers to adequately construct the necessary broadband infrastructure needed to service these areas. 
Finally, providers must be given flexibility in high cost locations in order to efficiendy use their available 
funds to reach the maximum amount of people. 
Thank you for your continued efforts to provide rural communities with the technology they need 
to grow and thrive. I urge you to allow local Internet Service Providers the time they need to adequately 
serve their rural customers. 
U.S. Senator