Sen. Warner calls on FCC to close the rural broadband gap

U.S.  Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) in a bipartisan effort to urge the Federal Communications Commission to update the Universal Service Fund’s (USF) Mobility Fund, which is aimed at providing broadband service to rural and underserved areas.

A total of 28 Senators wrote to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler calling for the agency to prioritize new mobile broadband deployment in these areas as well as preserve and upgrade mobile broadband where it is currently available.

“Mobile broadband increasingly animates ‎every aspect of our economy – from health care to agriculture. Unfortunately, the service many take for granted in connecting them to on-demand services, conducting e-commerce, and facilitating next-gen unmanned systems is simply not available to much of rural America. These coverage gaps deprive rural Virginians from full participation in the digital economy and stymie the development of productivity advances from things like precision agriculture,” Sen. Warner said. “That’s why I’ve joined with a number of my colleagues in calling for the FCC to recommit to promoting rural coverage, including through more accurate and granular measurement tools to identify and address coverage gaps.”

Sen. Warner, a former technology entrepreneur and Virginia governor, has long championed broadband technology as a proven job creator and economic stimulant. Last year, he joined a group of Senators urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enact policies that encourage expanded wireless broadband deployment in underserved and unserved areas of the country, increase quality and service, and improve cost competition in rural and urban areas alike.