410 JOHN BARRASSO M.D. WYOMING 307 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20510 202-224-6441 tlnitrd ~tatrs ~rnatr The Honorable Ajit Pai Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 12 St. SW Washington, DC 20554 Dear Chairman Pai: May 16,2017 COMMITIEES: ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS CHAIRMAN FOREIGN RELATIONS INDIAN AFFAIRS As you build the Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC), I wanted to make you aware of an individual I would recommend to serve on the BDAC's Streamlining Federal Siting working group. His name is Neil Schlenker. Neil is the Chairman ofthe Board of Directors ofTri County Telephone Association, Inc. (TCT) in Wyoming. TCT provides Internet, telephone, and television services to residential and business customers in northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and on the Crow Indian Reservation. TCT covers 5,000 square miles in places where the distance between customers exceeds 20 miles. As Chairman ofTCT, Neil appreciates the unique challenges of building broadband networks in rural areas. Despite the difficulty of serving customers in lightly populated areas, Neil understands the importance of having access to high-speed internet service. Recognizing the ever-increasing broadband needs of schools, healthcare providers, businesses and residential customers, Neil is continually working on ways to expand and increase broadband access in new and creative ways. TCT has overcome rural barriers for more than twenty years, including using terrestrial wireless broadband service where landline facilities are not feasible. TCT provides its customers with some of the best broadband available in Wyoming. As a telecommunications provider, Neil has first-hand experience working through permitting processes across multiple agencies. Serving customers in Wyoming, Montana, and on the Crow Indian Reservation, Neil has a unique perspective and experience with several permitting processes. His knowledge and background would make him an asset to the Streamlining Federal Siting working group. The BDAC's mission is to "provide advice and recommendations to the Commission on how to accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet access." I have every confidence that Neil possesses the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to serve on the BDAC. As a lifelong resident of the Big Horn Basin and Chairman ofTCT, Neil would bring the perspective of a rural broadband consumer and telecommunications provider to the BDAC. I encourage you to give his application to serve on the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee serious consideration. 100 EAST B STREET SUITE 2201 CASPER, WY 82602 307-261-6413 2120 CAPITOL AVENUE SUITE 2013 CHEYENNE, WY 82001 307-772-2451 324 EAST WASHINGTON AVENUE RIVERTON, WY 82501 307- 856-6642 Sincerely, John Barrasso, M.D. U.S. Senator 2 NORTH MAIN STREET SUITE 206 SHERIDAN, WY 82801 307-672-6456 WYOMING TOLL FREE 1-866-235-9553 WWW.BAAAASSO.SENATE.GOV