Bringing Connectivity to Rural Communities

The Federal Communications Commission adopted the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) program as a voluntary path for supporting the widespread deployment of 100/20 Mbps broadband service throughout the rural areas served by carriers currently receiving A-CAM support and in areas served by legacy rate-of-return support recipients. In adopting this program, the FCC promotes the universal availability of voice and broadband networks, while also taking measures to minimize the burden on the nation’s ratepayers. The FCC also adopted requirements for the Enhanced A-CAM program to complement existing federal, state, and local funding programs, so that broadband funding can be used efficiently to maximize the deployment of high-quality broadband service across the United States. The FCC seeks comment on how to reform its high-cost programs so that it can continue to efficiently promote broadband deployment and meaningfully support networks long term in the face of a significantly changing broadband landscape. The Enhanced A-CAM program:

• Requires participating carriers to deploy voice and 100/20 Mbps or faster broadband service to 100% of eligible locations in their areas.
• Maintains the Commission’s long-standing technology-neutral approach for deploying services in rural areas of the country.
• The program makes $13.5 billion in support available over a ten-year extension of the current A-CAM term.
• Utilizes the FCC’s National Broadband Map and Broadband Data Collection to determine locations to which participating carriers are obligated to deploy.
• Aligns deployment milestones with the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, requiring participating carriers to deploy to all locations within four years.
• Complements existing federal, state, and local funding programs, including the BEAD Program, allowing carriers that elect to participate in the Enhanced A-CAM program the opportunity to establish an enforceable commitment to locations they serve.
• Requires participating carriers to participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program.
• Creates an opportunity for legacy rate-of-return carriers to bring 100/20 Mbps to their customers in exchange for a period of fixed support, followed by a transition to the Enhanced A-CAM model.