323
T4e Honorable Ajit Pai 
Chairman 
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WASHINGTON, DC 20510 
April 12, 2017 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th Street, SW 
Washington, DC 20554 
Dear Chairman Pai: 
Recei,rerl & !n<;nected 
APR 1 9 2017 
FCC Mail Room 
We applaud the creation ofthe Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force. If implemented 
correctly, the Mobility FundJL~MF-II) and Connect America Fund EhaseJJ (_CAF-II) auctions 
are an opportunity for real progress in the Commission' s efforts to close the digital divide. We 
write to urge that an accurate understanding of mobile broadband coverage for consumers in 
rural America guide the Task Force's efforts to implement these upcoming auctions. 
The MF-II and CAF-II auctions should promote new broadband deployment in unserved 
and underserved areas in a manner that accounts for the real-world experiences of those living in 
the most remote parts of the country. To ensure the limited funding available for these auctions is 
allocated efficiently and responsibly, the Task Force should work to ensure that coverage data is 
collected in a consistent and robust way. 
More importantly, the Commission ' s efforts must accurately target every area that is in 
need of support so that no one is left behind. Residents, first responders, businesses, public 
institutions, and travelers in rural areas need reliable mobile broadband access. To that end, 
collecting and using reliable, standardized coverage data are critical steps toward ensuring 
consumers in the most rural and remote communities have access to the comparable services that 
Congress mandated for Universal Service. 
We fully support the Commission' s objective to promote broadband deployment 
throughout rural America and look forward to continuing to work with you to close the digital 
- d-i-vide,......_-- - - -- -
Sincerely,