Blackfoot Communications told the FCC that it’s surrendering agency Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) funding awarded to build gigabit speed internet service in Montana. In a letter to FCC Wireline Competition Bureau Chief Joseph Calascione, Blackfoot said it’s returning the money and associated buildout obligations for eligible census blocks within three census block groups (CBGs).
Since the reverse auction for the RDOF program in 2020, “Blackfoot has experienced extraordinary cost increases to build fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP),” states company CEO Jason Williams. “While Blackfoot has made significant progress in building gigabit speed broadband Internet to hundreds of RDOF locations, it has already spent significantly more capital than it had planned to spend on its entire RDOF project area making it unfeasible to deploy FTTP gigabit speed broadband to the three CBGs that Blackfoot is returning,” he explains.
The relinquished CBGs represent “a minority portion” of the total CBGs Blackfoot was awarded, approximately 688 locations of the 2,687 total locations awarded to the company. The surrendered locations serve areas in Flathead, Gallatin, and Missoula counties, according to Broadband Breakfast.
Williams adds the company is committed to serving its remaining census blocks with voice and broadband service meeting RDOF requirements. Blackfoot notified the Montana Broadband Office of the relinquishment so these CBGs can be eligible for alternative funding, such as BEAD money. Based in Missoula, MT, Blackfoot provides fiber and copper-based DSL to locations in Western Montana and Eastern Idaho, according to their website.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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