FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Anna G. Eshoo 
U.S. House ofRepresentatives 
241 Cannon House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Dear Congresswoman Eshoo: 
April 26, 201 7 
Thank you for your letter supporting the recent establishment of the Broadband 
Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). In your letter, you urge that the BDAC be tasked 
with a targeted goal of closing the digital divide in rural America. 
I share your desire to close the digital divide for the many rural Americans that lack 
sufficient high-speed internet access. I am focused on doing everything within the FCC's power 
to close the digital divide, as I said in my first remarks to the agency's terrific professional staff. 
The work of the BDAC will be a crucial component in our efforts to achieve this goal. 
Last September, I proposed what I called a Digital Empowerment Agenda-a blueprint 
of policies that would accelerate the deployment ofhigh-speed Internet access, or broadband, in 
communities across the country. The BDAC will provide an effective means for stakeholders to 
exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on broadband deployment. Its 
mission will be to identify regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment and make 
recommendations on reducing and/or removing them. This will enhance the Commission's 
ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all 
Americans. 
Additionally, the BDAC will draft for the Commission's consideration a model code for 
broadband deployment, which will cover topics like local franchising, zoning, permitting, and 
rights-of-way regulations. The model code will be a particularly valuable tool for rural 
communities that seek to access high-speed broadband but may lack the resources or the 
expertise to develop policies conducive to deployment. I expect the BDAC commence 
deliberations this spring. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter and I look forward to working with you as we 
work to bridge the digital divide. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 
Sincerely, 
-
Ajit V. Pai 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable G.K. Butterfield 
U.S. House ofRepresentatives 
2080 Rayburn House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Dear Congressman Butterfield: 
April 26, 2017 
Thank you for your letter supporting the recent establishment of the Broadband 
Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). In your letter, you urge that the BDAC be tasked 
with a targeted goal of closing the digital divide in rural America. 
I share your desire to close the digital divide for the many rural Americans that lack 
sufficient high-speed internet access . I am focused on doing everything within the FCC's power 
to close the digital divide, as I said in my first remarks to the agency ' s terrific professional staff. 
The work of the BDAC will be a crucial component in our efforts to achieve this goal. 
Last September, I proposed what I called a Digital Empowerment Agenda-a blueprint 
of policies that would accelerate the deployment ofhigh-speed Internet access, or broadband, in 
communities across the country. The BDAC will provide an effective means for stakeholders to 
exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on broadband deployment. Its 
mission will be to identify regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment and make 
recommendations on reducing and/or removing them. This will enhance the Commission's 
ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all 
Americans. 
Additionally, the BDAC will draft for the Commission' s consideration a model code for 
broadband deployment, which will cover topics like local franchising, zoning, permitting, and 
rights-of-way regulations. The model code will be a particularly valuable tool for rural 
communities that seek to access high-speed broadband but may lack the resources or the 
expertise to develop policies conducive to deployment. I expect the BDAC commence 
deliberations this spring. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter and I look forward to working with you as we 
work to bridge the digital divide. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 
· Sincerely, 
~ v. 
Ajit V. Pai 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Jerry McNerney 
U.S . House ofRepresentatives 
2265 Rayburn House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Dear Congressman McNerney: 
April 26, 2017 
Thank you for your letter supporting the recent establishment ofthe Broadband 
Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). In your letter, you urge that the BDAC be tasked 
with a targeted goal of closing the digital divide in rural America. 
I share your desire to close the digital divide for the many rural Americans that lack 
sufficient high-speed internet access. I am focused on doing everything within the FCC's power 
to close the digital divide, as I said in my first remarks to the agency's terrific professional staff. 
The work of the BDAC will be a crucial component in our efforts to achieve this goal. 
Last September, I proposed what I called a Digital Empowerment Agenda-a blueprint 
of policies that would accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet access, or broadband, in 
communities across the country. The BDAC will provide an effective means for stakeholders to 
exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on broadband deployment. Its 
mission will be to identifY regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment and make 
recommendations on reducing and/or removing them. This will enhance the Commission's 
ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all 
Americans. 
Additionally, the BDAC will draft for the Commission' s consideration a model code for 
broadband deployment, which will cover topics like local franchising, zoning, permitting, and 
rights-of-way regulations. The model code will be a particularly valuable tool for rural 
communities that seek to access high-speed broadband but may lack the resources or the 
expertise to develop policies conducive to deployment. I expect the BDAC commence 
deliberations this spring. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter and I look forward to working with you as we 
work to bridge the digital divide. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 
Sincerely, 
- v. 
Ajit V. Pai 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Peter Welch 
U.S. House of Representatives 
2303 Rayburn House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Dear Congressman Welch: 
April 26, 2017 
Thank you for your letter supporting the recent establishment of the Broadband 
Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). In your letter, you urge that the BDAC be tasked 
with a targeted goal of closing the digital divide in rural America. 
I share your desire to close the digital divide for the many rural Americans that lack 
sufficient high-speed internet access. I am focused on doing everything within the FCC's power 
to close the digital divide, as I said in my first remarks to the agency's terrific professional staff. 
The work of the BDAC will be a crucial component in our efforts to achieve this goal. 
Last September, I proposed what I called a Digital Empowerment Agenda-a blueprint 
of policies that would accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet access, or broadband, in 
communities across the country. The BDAC will provide an effective means for stakeholders to 
exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on broadband deployment. Its 
mission will be to identify regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment and make 
recommendations on reducing and/or removing them. This will enhance the Commission's 
ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all 
Americans. 
Additionally, the BDAC will draft for the Commission's consideration a model code for 
broadband deployment, which will cover topics like local franchising, zoning, permitting, and 
rights-of-way regulations. The model code will be a particularly valuable tool for rural 
communities that seek to access high-speed broadband but may lack the resources or the 
expertise to develop policies conducive to deployment. I expect the BDAC commence 
deliberations this spring. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter and I look forward to working with you as we 
work to bridge the digital divide. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 
Sincerely, 
v. 
Ajit V. Pai 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Doris Matsui 
U.S. House ofRepresentatives 
2311 Rayburn House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Dear Congresswoman Matsui: 
April 26, 2017 
Thank you for your letter supporting the recent establishment of the Broadband 
Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). In your letter, you urge that the BDAC be tasked 
with a targeted goal of closing the digital divide in rural America. 
I share your desire to close the digital divide for the many rural Americans that lack 
sufficient high-speed internet access. I am focused on doing everything within the FCC's power 
to close the digital divide, as I said in my first remarks to the agency's terrific professional staff. 
The work of the BDAC will be a crucial component in our efforts to achieve this goal. 
Last September, I proposed what I called a Digital Empowerment Agenda-a blueprint 
of policies that would accelerate the deployment ofhigh-speed Internet access, or broadband, in 
communities across the country. The BDAC will provide an effective means for stakeholders to 
exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on broadband deployment. Its 
mission will be to identifY regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment and make 
recommendations on reducing and/or removing them. This will enhance the Commission's 
ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all 
Americans. 
Additionally, the BDAC will draft for the Commission's consideration a model code for 
broadband deployment, which will cover topics like local franchising, zoning, permitting, and 
rights-of-way regulations. The model code will be a particularly valuable tool for rural 
communities that seek to access high-speed broadband but may lack the resources or the 
expertise to develop policies conducive to deployment. I expect the BDAC commence 
deliberations this spring. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter and I look forward to working with you as we 
work to bridge the digital divide. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 
Sincerely, 
- V· 
Ajit V. Pai 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Dave Loebsack 
U.S. House ofRepresentatives 
1527 Longworth House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Dear Congressman Loebsack: 
April 26, 201 7 
Thank you for your letter supporting the recent establishment of the Broadband 
Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC). In your letter, you urge that the BDAC be tasked 
with a targeted goal of closing the digital divide in rural America. 
I share your desire to close the digital divide for the many rural Americans that lack 
sufficient high-speed internet access. I am focused on doing everything within the FCC's power 
to close the digital divide, as I said in my first remarks to the agency's terrific professional staff. 
The work of the BDAC will be a crucial component in our efforts to achieve this goal. 
Last September, I proposed what I called a Digital Empowerment Agenda-a blueprint 
of policies that would accelerate the deployment ofhigh-speed Internet access, or broadband, in 
communities across the country. The BDAC will provide an effective means for stakeholders to 
exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on broadband deployment. Its 
mission will be to identify regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment and make 
recommendations on reducing and/or removing them. This will enhance the Commission's 
ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all 
Americans. 
Additionally, the BDAC will draft for the Commission's consideration a model code for 
broadband deployment, which will cover topics like local franchising, zoning, permitting, and 
rights-of-way regulations. The model code will be a particularly valuable tool for rural 
communities that seek to access high-speed broadband but may lack the resources or the 
expertise to develop policies conducive to deployment. I expect the BDAC commence 
deliberations this spring. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter and I look forward to working with you as we 
work to bridge the digital divide. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 
Sincerely, 
vt V· ~~ 
Ajit V. Pai