What We Believe

Equitable distribution of fast, reliable broadband service in our nation’s rural areas will help foster job creation, improve education, modernize healthcare delivery, and provide key support to emergency services.

One Country Connected believes rural Americans deserve equal access to the kind of broadband Internet service that the rest of the country already enjoys. We are committed to working with federal regulators to develop the right set of policies to make sure this level of broadband access is achieved for our rural communities.

In 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established the Connect America Fund (CAF), which provides financial resources to build out broadband infrastructure to un-served rural areas. One Country Connected wholly supports these efforts.

Today, the FCC is transitioning to Phase II of the CAF project, which will make available $1.8 billion annually to provide permanent changes to the agency’s high-cost support in rural areas that are served by larger incumbent local exchange carriers. We believe that—absent significant changes—CAF Phase II will create a new urban vs. rural digital divide.

One Country Connected will continue in our efforts to ensure rural Americans receive access to robust, reliable broadband. For more details about the CAF issue, and to learn about One Country Connected’s policy positions, please click here.