Chairman Response Regarding Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

On Jan 15, 2021, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai responded to several Members of Congress regarding the implementation of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. Lawmakers advocated for stringent oversight of the auction and encouraged the FCC to require detailed deployment schedules for review to ensure submissions can meet the time frame outlined by the auction. They also said the FCC should review relevant financial documents concerning a bid's ability to raise the financial capital necessary to complete a successful buildout, without undue reliance on future government subsidies.

Chairman Pai responded by providing details of the auction, writing that each winning bidder is required to file a detailed long-form application demonstrating to FCC staff that they are legally, technically, and financially capable of providing the required coverage and performance levels within the specified timeframe in the geographic areas in which it won support. He also noted that support recipients are required to report their deployed location and technology data on an annual basis in the outline High Cost Universal Broadband portal, make certifications when they have met their service milestones, and will be subject to performance testing to ensure their networks are delivering the service carriers promised to consumers. "Carriers failing to meet these obligations may be subject to recovery of support already received, plus enforcement action and forfeiture, as appropriate," he wrote.