PRESS RELEASE

May 29, 2019

Washington, D.C. – Connect Americans Now (CAN) Executive Director Richard T. Cullen released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its 2019 Broadband Deployment Report:

“While we continue to be concerned that the FCC’s data collection methods result in overstated claims of broadband availability, we appreciate the Commission’s continued commitment to this issue and the need for swift action to bridge the rural broadband gap.

“By the FCC’s own estimation, more than 21 million Americans lack access to broadband. For the majority of those living in rural America, this problem persists because traditional solutions such as fiber are too expensive to deploy to their communities and affordable wireless solutions like TV white spaces technology continue to be held back by outdated regulatory barriers.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Chairman Pai and the rest of the commissioners to bring affordable and innovative solutions to rural America.”