Lumen Relinquishes RDOF Awards in Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming

Lumen Technologies—through its affiliates Qwest and CenturyTel of Wyoming—was awarded Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) funding to deploy gigabit speed Internet service in areas of Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Now Lumen is returning nine census block groups (CBGs) where it was awarded RDOF funding in those states. Lumen has observed deployment costs increase dramatically in many areas since it made its bids. In addition, in some areas, the number of locations to be deployed to is substantially different from the initial published auction numbers. As a result of these and other factors, Lumen’s planned RDOF deployment projects in these CBGs are not viable. Lumen is returning these CBGs so that they may become eligible for other federal, state, or local subsidy programs, such as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (“BEAD”) Program. Lumen is also notifying the relevant state broadband offices of its intent to return the locations in the affected CBGs and their potential eligibility for alternative funding.