<!rnngr££Hl nf f4£ Nnit£~ §tat£n ma.sfrington, ilQI: 20515 July 16, 2019 470 Chairman Ajit Pai Federal Communications Commission 445 l 21h Street SW Washington, DC 20554 Dear Chairman Pai, We write in support of Russ Elliott to be a member of the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force. Russ currently serves as the Wyoming State Broadband Manager and during his short time in this position, he has made significant strides in bridging the connectivity gap in the state. He would be an outstanding member on the task force, and we ask that you give him your full consideration. Prior to his current position in Wyoming, Russ spent 14 years as the Chief Operating Officer and President of Brainstorm Internet, Colorado's largest independent Internet Service Provider. Brainstorm Internet delivers services to 14,000 rural customers in western Colorado and northern New Mexico over wired and wireless technologies. As Wyoming's Broadband Manager, Russ created a broadband mapping system for use by the state to identify and measure current gaps in the availability of broadband Internet service across Wyoming. This includes urban, agricultural and tribal areas in the state. This mapping initiative gathers data at the parcel level in even the most rural areas of our state, and will be instrumental in ensuring that service is made available, at an affordable level, to the underserved and unserved. Wyoming is the least populated state in the country. More than half of the population lives outside city limits, with many living on ranches far from any urban center. Wyoming's rural nature, combined with its diverse geography, creates a challenging environment to providing telecommunications service to all residents in the State. We believe Russ' experience in initiating solutions for, and his commitment to, rural America make him an ideal candidate for the task force. We have no doubt he will be an invaluable resource to address similar challenges facing other rural areas of America. Wyoming is fortunate to have someone of Russ' abilities in his current position. We are pleased to offer our recommendation for Russ to be a member on the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force, and are available to provide any additional information you may need. Sincerely, PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Senator Michael B. Enzi ' 1a Lor John Barrasso