Sixty-one Senators agree: It?s time to update rural broadband rules

Sixty-one Senators signed a letter calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to update support for rural broadband services. The letter was co-authored by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and requested that the FCC modernize its rules regarding the Universal Service Fund (USF), a program that encourages small, rural carriers to deliver communications services.

From the letter:

As the FCC continues to modernize USF to support broadband deployment, we must ensure rural consumers are not left behind by antiquated rules that inhibit investment, adoption, and consumer choice.  We therefore renew our call for the FCC to expeditiously make careful, targeted updates to the existing USF mechanisms to provide sufficient and predictable support so that consumers in areas served by smaller rural carriers can make the choice to obtain robust broadband services at affordable rates without being compelled to purchase other services.

Speed Matters supports efforts to bring broadband access to every American, urban and rural.

Sixty-One U.S. Senators Call on FCC to Modernize Support for Rural Broadband Services (U.S. Senate, May 12, 2015)