FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Earl L. Carter U.S. House of Representatives 2432 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Carter: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Earl L. Carter balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Mark Pocan U.S. House of Representatives 1026 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Pocan: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Mark Pocan balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Donald M. Payne, Jr. U.S. House of Representatives 106 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Payne, Jr.: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Donald M. Payne, Jr. balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Richard Hudson U.S. House of Representatives 2112 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Hudson: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Richard Hudson balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Nicholas Langworthy U.S. House of Representatives 1630 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Langworthy: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Nicholas Langworthy balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Jasmine Crockett U.S. House of Representatives 1616 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Crockett: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Jasmine Crockett balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Ed Case U.S. House of Representatives 2210 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Case: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Ed Case balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Sharice Davids U.S. House of Representatives 2435 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Davids: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Sharice Davids balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Carol Miller U.S. House of Representatives 465 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Miller: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Carol Miller balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Ann McLane Kuster U.S. House of Representatives 2201 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Kuster: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Ann McLane Kuster balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Rick Allen U.S. House of Representatives 462 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Allen: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Rick Allen balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Scott Fitzgerald U.S. House of Representatives 1507 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Fitzgerald: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Scott Fitzgerald balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Rick Crawford U.S. House of Representatives 2422 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Crawford: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Rick Crawford balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Stephanie L. Bice U.S. House of Representatives 2437 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Bice: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Stephanie L. Bice balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Mike Bost U.S. House of Representatives 352 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Bost: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Mike Bost balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Bruce Westerman U.S. House of Representatives 202 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Westerman: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Bruce Westerman balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Tracey Mann U.S. House of Representatives 344 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Mann: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Tracey Mann balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Greg Pence U.S. House of Representatives 404 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Pence: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Greg Pence balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Glenn Grothman U.S. House of Representatives 1511 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Grothman: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Glenn Grothman balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Thomas Tiffany U.S. House of Representatives 451 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Tiffany: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Thomas Tiffany balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Dusty Johnson U.S. House of Representatives 1714 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Johnson: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Dusty Johnson balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Randy Feenstra U.S. House of Representatives 1440 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Feenstra: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Randy Feenstra balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Brad Finstad U.S. House of Representatives 1605 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Finstad: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Brad Finstad balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Jack Bergman U.S. House of Representatives 566 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Bergman: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Jack Bergman balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Chuck Edwards U.S. House of Representatives 1505 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Edwards: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Chuck Edwards balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Marcus Molinaro U.S. House of Representatives 1207 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Molinaro: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Marcus Molinaro balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Michael Guest U.S. House of Representatives 450 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Guest: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Michael Guest balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Andy Barr U.S. House of Representatives 2430 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Barr: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Andy Barr balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable David Rouzer U.S. House of Representatives 2333 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Rouzer: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable David Rouzer balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Austin Scott U.S. House of Representatives 2185 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Scott: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Austin Scott balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Andrew Clyde U.S. House of Representatives 445 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Clyde: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Andrew Clyde balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Ashley Hinson U.S. House of Representatives 1717 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Hinson: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Ashley Hinson balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Zach Nunn U.S. House of Representatives 1232 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Nunn: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Zach Nunn balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Derrick Van Orden U.S. House of Representatives 1513 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Van Orden: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Derrick Van Orden balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable James R. Comer U.S. House of Representatives 2410 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Comer: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable James R. Comer balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Michelle Fischbach U.S. House of Representatives 1004 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Fischbach: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Michelle Fischbach balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRWOMAN June 20, 2023 The Honorable Mariannette Miller-Meeks U.S. House of Representatives 1034 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Miller-Meeks: Thank you for your letter regarding the status of the Enhanced A-CAM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a proceeding in which the Federal Communications Commission sought comment on a proposal to revise the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program to provide additional universal service support to certain rural carriers in exchange for increasing deployment to more locations at higher speeds. I share your view that the agency’s universal service programs have played a critical role delivering communications services to remote communities across the country. But in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of these programs, the Commission reviews them when time advances and technology changes. That’s why in order to keep pace with the demand for reliable broadband and meet the needs of consumers today and into the future, we need to optimize the Commission’s high-cost programs to bring higher speeds and greater bandwidth to consumers, particularly for those living in hard- to-reach areas. I am pleased to inform you that last week, I circulated a Report and Order for my colleagues’ consideration that would create the Enhanced A-CAM program. If adopted, the Report and Order would provide a voluntary pathway where current A-CAM carriers could elect to serve all locations in their service areas at 100/20 Mbps or greater in return for an extension of the A-CAM program and an incremental increase in support for expensive-to-serve areas. The Report and Order would also provide a path for carriers currently receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) legacy support to transition to Enhanced A-CAM model-based support. In addition, the Enhanced A-CAM program would include requirements to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By providing carriers who elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve, broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. In addition, I shared a rulemaking with my fellow Commissioners that, if adopted, would seek comment on how to address the immediate needs of legacy rate-of return support mechanisms, including the budget control mechanism and deployment obligations, while Page 2—The Honorable Mariannette Miller-Meeks balancing our objectives of maintaining our commitment to supporting broadband at evolving levels of service and also avoiding unnecessary duplication of support in light of other available funding programs. Finally, I also circulated a inquiry in order to develop a record that takes a longer term view on the future of the high-cost program in order to ensure affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Jessica Rosenworcel