FCC Takes Next Steps In Expanding Rural Broadband Access

Continuing its push to expand access to broadband in rural areas, the Federal Communications Commission took important steps toward investing an additional $2 billion in rural networks over the next decade. The item adopted by the Commission establishes rules of the road for an auction that will harness market forces to expand broadband in targeted rural areas. The item also seeks comment on a number of issues surrounding the auction so that it can deliver support to unserved communities as equitably and efficiently as possible.

The item builds on the substantial progress the FCC has made in recent years connecting rural America to broadband. Last year, the nation’s largest carriers – known as “price cap” carriers – accepted $9 billion over six years from Phase II of the Connect America Fund to expand broadband in their rural service areas. And in March, the FCC reformed its broadband support for the nation’s smallest carriers, providing $20 billion over the next decade. The auction seeks to expand service to census blocks unserved by broadband delivering speeds of 10 Mbps downloads/1 Mbps uploads in 20 states where the price cap carriers declined last year’s Connect America Fund offer. Also included in the auction are locations across the country with extremely high deployment costs.