Thoughts on Rural Broadband Subsidies for the New Decade

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai proposed the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, or RDOF, a ten-year, $20.4 billion program designed to support broadband deployment in those rural-remote areas left behind by the private market. RDOF will go a long way in bridging the digital divide if it is spent correctly. But there are major issues with RDOF that require attention. My concern is that companies that win this public support will build networks using antiquated or untrusted tech that are only capable of 25/3 service. The communities relying on these connections will be considered “served” and ineligible for future funding. RDOF has the potential to strand rural communities with 2015-standard networks for many years to come.

[Christopher Ali is a Benton Faculty Research Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Media Studies, University of Virginia]