FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHA I RMAN 
The Honorable Tammy Baldwin 
United States Senate 
717 Hart Senate Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20510 
Dear Senator Baldwin: 
January 29, 2015 
Thank you for your letter regarding the implementation of ce1iain aspects of 
Phase II of the C01mect 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. Your views are very imp01iant 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 51 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 within the confines of our 
Connect America budget, while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers 
and a climate for increased broadband expansion. 
In December 2014, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report 
and Order to move forward with Connect America for price-cap carriers. While I appreciate 
your concern about increasing the broadband speed benchmark for CAF II, the Commission, 
consistent with our statutory obligation to ensure that rural Americans have access to services 
that are reasonably comparable to those available to their urban and suburban neighbors, voted to 
increase the minimum broadband speed to 10 Mbps from 4 Mbps. With respect to your concern 
about allowing the appropriate level of flexibility in other elements of CAF II, I note that the 
Order extends the term of support for price-cap carriers that accept the state-level commitment 
and gives those carriers more flexibility in serving those areas . 
I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further 
assistance. 
Sincerely, 
~ 
Tom Wheeler 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Ron Johnson 
United States Senate 
386 Russell Senate Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20510 
Dear Senator J olmson: 
January 29, 2015 
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 cunent 
broadband speed benchmark for program. 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 impmiant tools at our disposal to ensure 
that consumers and businesses in rural America have the same oppmiunities as their urban and 
suburban counterpruis to be active participants in the United States ofthe 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 within the confines of our 
Connect America budget, while providing increased certainty and predictability for all carriers 
and a climate for increased broadband expansion. 
In December 2014, the Commission adopted a Connect America Fund Phase II Report 
and Order to move forward with Connect America for price-cap carriers. While I appreciate 
your concern about increasing the broadband speed benclm1ark for CAF II, the Commission, 
consistent with our statutory obligation to ensure that rural Americans have access to services 
that are reasonably compru·able to those available to their urban and suburban neighbors, voted to 
increase the minimum broadbru1d speed to 10 Mbps from 4 Mbps. With respect to your concern 
about allowing the appropriate level of flexibility in other elements of CAF II, I note that the 
Order extends the term of support for price-cap carriers that accept the state-level commitment 
and gives those carriers more flexibility in serving those areas. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if l can be of any further 
assistance. 
ilttt 
Tom Wheeler