Will the FCC stay committed to rural America?

[Commentary] In the US, communications tools are essential for our daily lives. We almost take for granted that every American has access to them. But that’s not the case. People who live in rural areas have often struggled to get telephone and broadband service. They get their service only when one of the smaller telephone companies in their rural area builds out new services to their customers.

Today there are new and real questions about who will be able to access advanced telecommunication services in the future. Will the people who live in rural and hard-to-reach areas have the same access as other Americans? That question is going to be answered by the actions of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the coming months. Unless the FCC protects a time-honored principle called “universal service,” millions of rural Americans could be left behind in this telecommunications revolution.

The FCC document proposing a new “Connect America Fund” as a substitute for USF describes their interest in “market-driven” policies. But history has shown us that if we had relied on the “market” to move electricity and telephone service to rural and high-cost areas, we'd still be waiting. I believe the first step for the FCC must be to recommit to the principle of “universal service.” The wrong decision by the FCC could be a disaster for the economic future of high-cost and rural areas. Without access to the latest and best telecommunications services, rural areas of our country will be on the wrong side of the digital divide, and consigned to a future without economic opportunity or development. Reform done right could pave the way for sustained service and the universal build-out of the latest telecommunications services to all Americans in every region of our country, as well as the economic opportunities that come with it. That is the path I hope the FCC will choose.

[Dorgan is a former senator from North Dakota]