FCC: Carriers Accept $4.5 Billion in Revised A-CAM Broadband Support for Rural Broadband Expansion

The majority of rural rate of return carriers that initially opted to receive broadband support based on the Federal Communications Commission alternative Connect America model (A-CAM) have reconfirmed those plans based on revised A-CAM broadband support offers. Those offers were reduced when demand for the A-CAM program was greater than expected. Although the commission raised the budget for the program, the additional funding was not sufficient to cover a total funding gap of $1.6 billion over 10 years. A total of 182 carriers accepted a total of 217 revised A-CAM broadband support offers, the FCC said Jan 24.

The total number of carriers that received revised offers was 191, and the total number of offers that were revised was 228. (Some carriers received more than one offer because they operate in more than one state and offers were made on a state-by-state basis.) Forty-five initial A-CAM offers made to 35 carriers were for less money than the carriers would have received by staying on the traditional program and therefore were not revised. Instead those carriers will receive the total amount of A-CAM funding they initially were offered.