An update on news from February 2020.
All in Broadband
Connect America Fund Phase II Auction – News Update
An update on the FCC’s Connect America Fund Phase II Auction.
January 2020 News Update
An update on news from January 2020.
FCC Eliminates E-Rate Amortization Rule For New Or Upgraded Fiber Deployments
The FCC has eliminated an E-Rate Program rule requiring schools and libraries to amortize over three years upfront, non-recurring charges of $500,000 or more for category one services. The decision is expected to help increase the deployment of fiber and other broadband infrastructure to the nation’s schools and libraries.
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund – Draft Report And Order – RDOF Phase I Auction Participants Will Place Bids Using Four Broadband Performance Tiers
The FCC has released a draft Report and Order establishing a framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund which will be voted on at the FCC’s January 30, 2020, open meeting. For Phase I of the RDOF, auction participants will place bids in four broadband performance tiers, and each tier will differentiate between bids that would offer either low or high latency service. Bids in each performance tiered will be weighted to reflect a preference for higher speeds, higher usage allowances, and low latency.
USDA ReConnect Program Broadband Funding Awards Update – Second Round Application Window Opens January 31, 2020
An update on news about USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program.
FCC Estimates Six Million Locations Eligible For Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I Support
The FCC recently released a draft Report and Order establishing a framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). Phase I of the RDOF will target $16 billion in support to census blocks that do not have any 25/3 Mbps broadband service. The FCC initially estimates six million locations could be eligible for support in Phase I of the RDOF.
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Will Prioritize Higher Network Speeds And Lower Latency
The FCC has released a draft Report and Order establishing a framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) which will be voted on at the FCC’s January 30, 2020, open meeting. Much of the $20.4 billion RDOF framework in the Report and Order is similar to what was originally proposed in the August 2019 NPRM, but with more focus on driving funding toward the deployment of future proof networks.
December 2019 News Update
Update on news from December 2019
USDA ReConnect Program Broadband Funding Awards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $600 million ReConnect Pilot Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in areas of rural America that lack access to broadband service. To date, USDA has provided awards for 25 projects totaling $229,630,148 in funding for high-speed broadband infrastructure in 17 U.S. states. The funded service areas include a total of 44,833 households.