| December
10, 2004 The
Honorable Michael Powell, Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445
12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554 Dear
Chairman Powell: The
National Grange is the nation's oldest general farm and rural public interest
organization. We are writing to applaud the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) for the actions it has taken this year on broadband issues. We would ask
that the FCC continue to move forward on the task of setting a clear and consistent
regulatory standard regarding the unbundling of telecommunications services as
you complete your work on the Triennial Review Order. The National Grange believes
that less broadband regulation will yield more investment, more jobs, more competition,
and more consumer choice, especially in rural communities. America's
ability to be a technology leader is critical to economic growth, job creation
and better products and services for consumers in the marketplace. The National
Grange strongly believes that family farmers and rural Americans are entitled
to share in the benefits of these technologies as much as urban and suburban consumers.
Due to the positive steps taken by the FCC recently, the telecommunications industry
has begun to make substantial investments in broadband infrastructure, including
crucial investments in underserved rural areas, that will facilitate technological
innovation, consumer choice and generate over a million good-paying jobs. America,
and in particular our farming and rural communities, cannot afford to fall further
behind our international competitors in terms of broadband deployment. At
the 138th Annual Convention of the National Grange held Nov 9-13, 2004 in Rochester,
NY, our grassroots Grange delegates from across the nation adopted the following
policy statement on deployment of broadband technologies in rural America: "The
National Grange supports a national broadband policy that removes the regulatory
uncertainty that has deterred broadband investment in rural America. A national
broadband policy will provide the incentive for companies to invest in rural broadband
deployment and stimulate broadband competition. A national broadband policy will
spark the creation of new service providers and new innovations that will assist
a host of new technologies become more affordable, including cutting-edge wireless
technologies that promise to deliver broadband to even the most remote parts of
our country."
Therefore,
on behalf of our nearly 300,000 individual Grange members affiliated with 3000
local Grange chapters across rural America, we ask that you continue to implement
the forward-looking policies that the FCC adopted earlier this year in regard
to unbundling. Failure to do so would be tantamount to taking a significant step
backward from the rules currently in effect. It would undermine the progress that
has been made to encourage broadband deployment in rural communities. Thank
you for your hard work on behalf of rural Americans regarding this issue and for
your consideration of the views of the National Grange. Sincerely,
Leroy Watson,
Legislative Director
National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
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