OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
WASHINGTON
March 14, 2018
The Honorable Paul D. Tonko
U.S. House of Representatives
2463 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman Tonko:
Thank you for your letter about the Federal Communications Commission's efforts to
bridge the digital divide. I absolutely agree that far too many Americans still lack access to high.
speed Internet. We should take every step possible to ensure all Americans are connected.
That's why the FCC's top priority under my leadership remains bringing digital
opportunity to all Americans. That's why the Commission maintained the benchmark speed for
high-speed fixed broadband service at 25 Mbps/3 Mbps and concluded that mobile broadband is
not a full substitute for fixed service. And that's why in my first week as Chairman, the
Commission dedicated up to $170 million to aid the deployment of broadband infrastructure to
unserved areas of rural New York as part of the state's New NY Broadband Program.
Your letter expresses concern about the accuracy of our Form 477 data collection
program. I agree that maintaining updated and accurate data about broadband deployment is
critical to bridging the digital divide. That is why the Commission adopted a Further Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking last August to make sure our Form 477 data is as accurate as possible.
The purpose of the proposed rules in the FNPRM is to collect better and more accurate
information and to explore ways to increase the usefulness of the data collected for fixed
broadband deployment and mobile broadband deployment. In particular, we seek comment on a
number of proposals to increase the level of detail of the data reported for fixed broadband
deployment and different approaches to improving the quality of data for mobile broadband
deployment. Going forward, we want to make sure that overall Form 477 is giving us the right
snapshot of where connectivity is and where it isn't.
I appreciate your interest in this matter. Your views are very important and will be
entered into the record and considered as part of the Commission's review. Please let me know
if I can be of any further assistance.
Sincerely,