WISPA addresses Rural Digital Opportunity Fund award concerns in letter to FCC

The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) sent a letter to Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel yesterday related to its concerns about Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) awards. The FCC has indicated a preference for fiber deployments, which offer the highest broadband speeds as well as symmetrical speeds for both the upstream and downstream. However, WISPA represents many fixed wireless access providers that have been serving rural customers for years, and the group thinks it is more important to reach unserved areas quickly than to worry about symmetrical broadband speeds. “WISPA believes that, to connect all Americans to fast broadband speeds, symmetrical broadband speeds are not necessary,” it stated in its letter to Rosenworcel. The company stated that they are in the process of setting up individual meetings with FCC commissioners.