LTD Broadband Promised Fast Internet. Rural America Waits…and Waits

The Federal Communications Commission launched a major initiative to provide high-speed internet service to rural Americans in 2020, dedicating $9.2 billion through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) to entice companies to extend their networks to places previously deemed too costly to reach. More than 18 months later, many of those rural communities still wait for broadband. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase 1 auction drew bids from more than 300 companies, but LTD Broadband was the top dollar winner. The company won rights to $1.3 billion to extend fiber-optic cable to rural communities scattered over 15 states, in some cases beating out local competitors. LTD has since missed deadlines to be certified by local regulators in six of the 15 states, prompting the FCC to block the company’s access to broadband funds there. At least 275,000 people live in affected areas of those states, census and FCC data show. LTD asked the FCC for more time to be certified, but the agency denied that request. LTD is appealing the FCC’s decision in four of the six states. In nine other states, FCC officials are still reviewing LTD’s ability to do the job, even though the agency has authorized more than 300 other bidders to move forward.