The FCC is ready to authorize more than $544 million in its third round of funding for new broadband deployments through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. Together with two previous funding waves, that makes over $1 billion for winning bidders for new deployments.
In this funding wave, 11 broadband providers will bring fiber-to-the-home gigabit broadband service to over 180,000 locations in 19 states. The total amount authorized was $554,150,641.
“This is good news for consumers waiting far too long for broadband in parts of the country that have yet to be served,” said Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Broadband is an essential service and during the pandemic we’ve seen just how critical it is for families, schools, hospitals, and businesses to have affordable internet access.”
The 19 states slated for funding are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. Michigan and Georgia received the most money in this wave, $188 million and $149 million, respectively.
The Commission continues reviewing the applications of other winning bidders that were previously announced to ensure they meet the program’s technical, financial, and legal requirements. The FCC also continues to work to ensure that funding only supports providers that comply with program requirements.
The Commission denied several waiver petitions by companies that it said did not diligently pursue their applications. For example, the FCC denied LTD Broadband’s petition seeking a deadline waiver to be designated as an eligible telecommunications carrier in Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota, and denied NW Fiber’s petition seeking a deadline waiver for submitting a post-auction long form application. These efforts continue the agency’s work to clean up the program to ensure that funding goes to unserved areas that need broadband, according to the Commission.
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