Capito, Other Senators Call on FCC to Close the Rural Broadband Gap

Press Release

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined with other Senators in a bipartisan effort urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to update the Universal Service Fund's (USF) Mobility Fund, which is aimed at providing broadband service to rural and underserved areas. Senator Capito was joined by a bipartisan group of Senators in a letter 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.

Improving broadband accessibility in West Virginia is one of Senator Capito's top priorities. 30% of West Virginia residents lack access to broadband, and this number is as high as 48% in more rural areas of the state. Senator Capito has led efforts to address this issue through her Capito Connect plan.

In the letter to Chairman Wheeler, Senator Capito and her colleagues write, "The expansion of rural broadband should be a top priority of federal and state policymakers, as expanded deployment in rural areas will address important economic, educational, health care, and public safety goals."

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