<html><head><base href="x-msg://51/"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">This issue highlights my concern that we are almost all on the wrong side <div>of the 'digital divide', not just the rural, poor and under-educated, in this country.<div>The CAF side-steps meeting the bottom-line access bandwidth recommended in </div><div>the National Broadband Plan, promising 3Mb/768Kb up/down by three years from now. </div><div>I'm in the state capitol city of Santa Fe, where I have under 1.3mb/.580Kb up/down at best,</div><div>in a location that is not designated as underserved. A troubling future.</div><div>RL</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Jul 27, 2012, at 9:04 AM, Masha Zager wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; "><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">I believe the 3Mbps/768Kbps is what they use to define unserved areas, rather than being the target for new builds. Agree with Christopher & others that either goal is pitifully low.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">Masha Zager<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">Editor, Broadband Communities<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><a href="mailto:masha@bbcmag.com" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">masha@bbcmag.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">518-943-0374<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><a href="http://www.bbcmag.com" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.bbcmag.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><a href="http://www.twitter.com/bbcmag" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.twitter.com/bbcmag</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; ">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>On Behalf Of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Christopher Mitchell<br><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Friday, July 27, 2012 10:46 AM<br><b>To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Cummins, Kevin (Tom Udall)<br><b>Cc:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Richard Lowenberg; Tom Johnson; 1st-Mile-NM<br><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Re: [1st-mile-nm] Almost 8, 000 in Rural NM to Get High-Speed Internet Access<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Kevin, thank you for the link but I think you may be mistaken.<o:p></o:p></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">I may be reading it wrong (and this is getting into the hair-splitting realm) but I believe this is the relevant explanation - page 2 of the Executive Summary of the order (<a href="http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-310692A1.pdf" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-310692A1.pdf</a> ):<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">--------------------<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Phase I. To spur immediate broadband buildout, we will provide additional funding <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">for price cap carriers to extend robust, scalable broadband to hundreds of thousands of unserved <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Americans beginning in early 2012. To enable this deployment, all existing legacy high-cost <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">support to price cap carriers will be frozen, and an additional $300 million in CAF funding will <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">be made available. Frozen support will be immediately subject to the goal of achieving universal <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">availability of voice and broadband, and subject to obligations to build and operate broadbandcapable networks in areas unserved by an unsubsidized competitor over time. Any carrier <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">electing to receive the additional support will be required to deploy broadband and offer service <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">that satisfies our new public interest obligations to an unserved location for every $775 in <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">incremental support. <b>Specifically, carriers that elect to receive this additional support must </b><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b>provide broadband with actual speeds of at least 4 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream,</b><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b>with latency suitable for real-time applications and services such as VoIP, and with monthly usage </b><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b>capacity reasonably comparable to that of residential terrestrial fixed broadband offerings in </b><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b>urban areas.</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> In addition, to ensure fairness for consumers across the country who pay into USF, <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">we reduce existing support levels in any areas where a price cap company charges artificially low <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">end-user voice rates. <o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">-------------------<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">I am heartened to see that it requires _actual_ speeds but I am in strong agreement with John Brown that this entire program reflects the lobbying power of a few corporations rather than what is best for the nation or unserved communities.<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><br clear="all">Christopher Mitchell<br>Director, Telecommunications as Commons Initiative<br>Institute for Local Self-Reliance<o:p></o:p></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><br><a href="http://www.muninetworks.org" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.muninetworks.org</a><o:p></o:p></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">@communitynets<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">612-276-3456 x209<o:p></o:p></div></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">On Fri, Jul 27, 2012 at 9:31 AM, Cummins, Kevin (Tom Udall) <<a href="mailto:Kevin_Cummins@tomudall.senate.gov" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">Kevin_Cummins@tomudall.senate.gov</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">Christopher, Tom,</span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">My understanding is that the FCC requirement is download/upload speeds of 3Mbps/768kbps. There’s more information available through the FCC website and this map,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.fcc.gov/maps/connect-america-fund-caf-phase-i" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.fcc.gov/maps/connect-america-fund-caf-phase-i</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">Regards,</span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">Kevin</span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">Kevin Cummins</span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">Office of Sen. Tom Udall</span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(181, 196, 223); border-top-width: 1pt; padding-top: 3pt; padding-right: 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; "><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; ">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[mailto:<a href="mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org</a>]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>On Behalf Of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Christopher Mitchell<br><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Friday, July 27, 2012 8:57 AM<br><b>To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Tom Johnson<br><b>Cc:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Richard Lowenberg; 1st-Mile-NM<br><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Re: [1st-mile-nm] Almost 8, 000 in Rural NM to Get High-Speed Internet Access</span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">I believe they have to do 4 down, 1 up. But who knows if that means they just have to advertise that it is available. The frustration from me is simply that we are pouring federal money into obsolete technology delivered by corporations that have proven they cannot be trusted and have a poor track record of serving these communities.<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><br clear="all">Christopher Mitchell<br>Director, Telecommunications as Commons Initiative<br>Institute for Local Self-Reliance<o:p></o:p></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><br><a href="http://www.muninetworks.org" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.muninetworks.org</a><o:p></o:p></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">@communitynets<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a href="tel:612-276-3456%20x209" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">612-276-3456 x209</a><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">On Thu, Jul 26, 2012 at 10:52 PM, Tom Johnson <<a href="mailto:tom@jtjohnson.com" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">tom@jtjohnson.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">And the definition of "high-speed internet" is ........<br><br>-tj<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">On Thu, Jul 26, 2012 at 6:37 PM, Richard Lowenberg <<a href="mailto:lowenberg@designnine.com" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">lowenberg@designnine.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></div></div></div></div><blockquote style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-top: 5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 5pt; position: static; z-index: auto; "><div><div><div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> <o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-top-style: solid; padding-top: 3pt; padding-right: 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; ">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; "> Tom Udall Press Office <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 26, 2012 6:11 PM<br><b>To:</b> Tom Udall Press Office<br><b>Subject:</b> Udall: Almost 8,000 in Rural NM to Get High-Speed Internet Access</span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> <o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">For Immediate Release</span></b><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">July 26, 2012</span></b><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">Udall: Almost 8,000 in Rural NM to Get High-Speed Internet Access</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">WASHINGTON – </span></b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">Today, <b>U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)</b> announced that almost 8,000 rural New Mexico residents will gain high-speed internet access within the next three years as a part of the first phase of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “Connect America Fund.” Udall is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees telecommunications issues. </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">Broadband and telecommunications companies CenturyLink and Windstream will receive $2.3 million to build broadband infrastructure for New Mexico homes and businesses that currently lack high-speed internet access, connecting them to the $8 trillion global internet economy. </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">“Broadband is a platform for economic growth,” said Udall. “High-speed internet should be available to all, so that everyone in New Mexico can take advantage of new technologies to grow their businesses and improve access to healthcare and education.” </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">Currently, nearly 47 percent of New Mexico’s rural population, or approximately 220,000 people, lack access to high speed internet.</span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">In its first phase, the “Connect America Fund” will implement projects to expand the broadband infrastructure to rural areas in 37 states, which will provide nearly 400,000 homes and business with high-speed internet access. </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">The “Connect America Fund” aims to connect all 19 million unserved rural Americans by 2020. </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; ">######</span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </span><o:p></o:p></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; ">------------------------------------------------------------</span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; ">Richard Lowenberg<br>P. O. Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504<br><a href="tel:505-989-9110" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">505-989-9110</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>off.;<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="tel:505-603-5200" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">505-603-5200</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>cell</span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; ">------------------------------------------------------------</span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; "> </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></blockquote></div></div></div></body></html>