Senators Urge Chairman Pai to Spur Mobility Fund

Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MI) and Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV), joined by a bipartisan host of others, have asked new Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to prioritize mobile broadband in rural and underserved areas.

In a letter to the chairman, the Sens called on the FCC to "move forward" with Phase II of the Universal Service Fund's Mobility Fund. The FCC has been migrating its subsidies for essential communications from phone to broadband, including mobile broadband. "We need to continue moving the needle on broadband deployment in hard-to-reach areas, such as rural Mississippi,” said Sen Wicker. “Providing this access promotes business innovation and job creation. This is especially important for small businesses, which support tens of thousands of Mississippi families."