Once we have accurate infonnation, there will still be more work to do. In Iowa, we have wide variations in speed and access even between communities that are very close together. Red Oak, in my district, is ranked 541h among Iowa cities for internet connection, but less than 25 miles away in a town that's similar in size, Shenandoah ranked 4301h. Much of this disparity is due solely to "last mile" issues, where the infrastructure has been built out to the region, but not all the way to the home. In fact, in some of these areas broadband service stops exactly at the county or city line. I would ask that as the FCC transitions what was the Connect America Fund into the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), it looks to maximize scarce resources by examining all possible ways to leverage existing middle mile infrastructure to get Iowans and Americans fully connected with broadband service. Since most estimates of the total cost of deploying broadband to every American are at least double the $20 billion proposed, we should not pretend that this will be sufficient to get everyone service. Instead, we should seek to maximize the RDOF's effectiveness in terms of getting people access. I have areas like Montgomery County in my district that only need $2 million more in order to be the first county in Iowa to have full fiber to the home, and getting communities like that to have full connectivity will be immensely valuable in understanding what strategies can be successful elsewhere. Finally, please make sure that the FCC is doing everything it can to provide not only financing but also guidance and advice to communities which are looking for the type of economic development that high-speed internet can bring. Small companies and communities can have difficulty navigating the various funding sources that the federal government offers, and simply having someone who understands them and can help navigate those would go a long way to making sure the funding is effectively spent to help our rural communities. Thank you for your attention to these requests. I look forward to working with you and the FCC to ensure we don't leave our rural communities behind, and instead make sure they have the resources they need to make sure every American has fast, reliable broadband service. Sincerely, Cindy Axne Member of Congress