JARED POLIS VICE CHAIR AND PARLIAMENTARIAN 21'0 DISTRICT, COLOHAt)O STEERING AND POLICY PARLIAMENTARIAN OF TH E WHIP 1727 LONGWORTH House OFFICE BUILDING WASfllNGTON. DC 20515 -0602 COMMITTEE ON (202) 225-2161 (202) 226-7840 {FAX) EDUCATION A ND THE WORKFORCE SUBCOMMITTEES, website and email: RANKING MEMBER EARL y CHILDHOOD. hup:1 polis house.gov [nugrrsa nf tqr ltttitrh §tatra ELlMENTARY, AND SECONOARV EoucAr10"' H1GHLR EDuCA r10N ANO L~lllrn r uf 11\rprrHrtdutinr.s WORKFORCE DEVELOPME1''T VICE RANKING MEM BER February 26, 2018 137 COMMITTEE ON RULES COMMITTEE ON ETHICS The Honorable Ajit Pai, Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St, SW Washington, DC 20536 Dear Chairman Pai, I write to urge you to maintain the rules adopted by the FCC in April 2015 for commercial use of the 3.5 Ghz bandwidth, the Citizens Broadband Radio Service {CBRS) spectrum. This rule was adopted to ensure that small businesses could compete with larger market players for coverage areas, and to provide an environment where wireless innovation can flourish. Innovation in wireless creates the environment where we will be best able to connect rural America through high-speed broadband. It is critical that you maintain the rules currently in place to ensure we continue to advance rural broadband connectivity. The FCC has estimated that 39% of rural Americans do not have access to quality broadband, amounting to over 23 million individuals according to some research. Without a reliable connection, these Americans are missing the opportunities of the digital age, from potential professional gains to entertainment and t he arts. Large telecommunications companies have been in the rural markets for years, but have yet to provide much of these communities with reliable connectivity. It is necessary that we create the competition necessary to provide service to these Americans, and to give new innovative companies and organizations a chance to experiment in wireless broadband technology. Thank you for your attention to our request, I look forward to your timely response. Si cerely, PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER