Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s Response to Members of Congress Regarding the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Rosenworcel sent letters to seven senators on April 8, 2022 in response to their letter regarding the review process for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction. Chairwoman Rosenworcel said before funding was made available to successful bidders, the FCC: subjected applicants to a technical, financial and legal review; sent 197 letters to bidders seeking additional due diligence and about 5,000 census blocks were removed from the program; and every bidder that won a preliminary commitment was required to secure status as an eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC). She also said the FCC has established the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan to monitor and ensure compliance for universal service high-cost programs, including the RDOF.