FCC pledges $166.8m to expand rural broadband coverage

The funds will be allocated over the next ten years and will support last year’s Connect America Fund Phase II auction; providers will start to receive funds at the end of June.

“I’m pleased to announce that the second round of funding starts now for buildout of high-speed Internet service to 60,850 rural homes and businesses, which will bring them to the right side of the digital divide and give them access to the 21st-century opportunities that broadband offers,” said FCC chairman Ajit Pai (pictured). “Providers will be deploying gigabit-speed connections to the majority of locations for which funding is being authorised today, while nearly 8,000 homes and small businesses on Tribal lands will be getting fixed broadband service for the first time.”

The first wave of funding was authorised in May issuing $111.6 million in funding over the next ten years to expand service to 37,148 unserved homes and businesses in 12 states. In addition, the auction which took place in autumn 2018 allocated $1.488 billion to support the expansion of broadband to more than 700,000 rural homes and small businesses.

So far, the first two rounds of authorisations will provide $278.4 million over the next decade to expand service to 97,998 new locations. Additionally, over the coming months, the FCC will authorise additional funding as it approves the final applications of the winning bidders from the auction.

The complete list of companies receiving support are:

Providers must build out to 40% of its assigned homes and within three years and buildout must increase by 20% in each subsequent year, until complete buildout is reached at the end of the sixth year.