About Connect Americans Now (CAN) Eliminating the digital divide in rural America Connect Americans Now is a new coalition committed to eliminating the digital divide that is holding too many communities back. Our organization is supported by Microsoft and other leaders who have a plan of action to address the broadband internet gap in rural America. We have a plan to close the broadband gap by utilizing TV white spaces spectrum – unused spectrum in the UHF television bands.

Our Members We are a coalition of more than 100 rural advocates committed to closing the digital divide by 2022 National Regional

Digital Divide in America Lack of broadband access putting communities at risk Nearly 20 million rural Americans lack a broadband connection. "There's a big and growing divide, a 'digital divide,' in this country between those who have high-quality internet access and those who don’t. Disproportionately, rural Americans find themselves on the wrong side of that divide." FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (Sioux City, 6/7/17)

TV White Spaces & Rural Broadband 101 What is high-speed internet and wireless broadband? According the FCC, the standard for “fast” internet is 25 megabits per second, which allows users to conduct business, stream video and send large email attachments. Traditional, wired connections are expensive, which is they are typically only installed in large population centers. For many rural Americans, a dial-up connection is the only option for affordable internet. Dial-up connections deliver speeds of about one megabit per second, which is around 1/100th of the speed many city dwellers enjoy and is incapable of performing basic functions like web surfing and online shopping. Broadband refers to a fast internet connection that remains available full-time. In contrast, a dial-up connection is too slow for most modern applications, and it is only available when a user activates the connection with a telephone line or modem.

TV White Spaces & Rural Broadband 101 What is spectrum? Spectrum refers to the different frequencies available for transmitting data. When you tune to a radio station, turn on your TV or log on to the internet, you are using spectrum. Different frequencies have different capabilities. An AM radio station might transmit 10,000 waves per second (10 kHz), while the Wi-Fi antenna delivering wireless internet in a coffee shop operates at 2.4 GHz – that’s 2.4 billion radio waves per second. In telecommunications, the entire spectrum of available frequencies is divided up into segments for different purposes. These clusters of frequencies – called bands – are used for cell phones, GPS satellites, radios, televisions, and many other purposes. TV white spaces refer to unused frequencies that operate below 700 MHZ.

Broadband in the U.S. Many counties in America still lack access Broadband by County

Solution: TV White Spaces How it works “TV white spaces” refers to unassigned spectrum below 700 MHz that can be used to deliver broadband access, services, and applications. This available spectrum is uniquely suited for delivering broadband to rural areas because it can carry communications over far greater distances and penetrate through walls and other obstacles than cellular and other spectrum bands.

Solution: TV White Spaces Unused spectrum presents best opportunity to expand broadband Overall, TV white spaces technologies appear to be the optimal solution for a little more than 19 million people. In 2008, FCC adopted regulations paving the way for more efficient use of such underused spectrum while protecting broadcasters and other licensees from interference.

The Best Solutions for Rural Densities TV white spaces could deliver broadband to rural America Percentage of counties where a technology is most efficient within each population density band

Most Cost-Effective Ways to Expand Access Cheaper alternatives to using fiber cables Cost comparison to connect nearly 20 million people in Rural America Leveraging a combination of wireless technology including TV white spaces spectrum, LTE fixed wireless, and satellite coverage can reduce initial capital and operating costs by roughly 80 percent compared with the cost of using fiber cables alone.

What’s at Stake for Rural America Improving quality of life and providing more opportunities Education 70 percent of teachers assign homework online, but 6.5 million students lack a connection, leaving them unable to keep up with their urban counterparts. Agriculture Precision agriculture tools can transform operations by helping farmers cut costs, conserve resources and increase yields, but those without a connection can’t keep up. Small Business/Jobs Modern capabilities like e-commerce and teleworking have transformed the business landscape, but many are finding themselves locked out of this global economy. Healthcare Telemedicine could save lives and thousands of dollars annually for underserved patients and rural hospitals that are struggling to survive.

Joining Our Coalition Driving prosperity in rural America We need your help to make our plan a reality. We’re calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Members of Congress to ensure the continued use of the spectrum needed for this technological approach. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recognizes the rural divide and has said bridging the rural divide is among the agency’s highest priorities, and we plan on holding him to that promise. Five things your organization can do to help. 1 Join our coalition 2 Write a letter to FCC and key congressional leaders 3 Sign an op-ed or letter to the editor 4 Help recruit other groups in your industry to join 5 Participate in a CAN sponsored event