Charter Has Received Funding for 260,000 More Rural Builds Since Big RDOF Win

Charter has received funding to cover some of the costs of deploying broadband to 260,000 more rural locations from state and “other” sources, said Charter CEO Chris Winfrey. And there likely will be more to come. “Our BEAD chances are very good,” said Winfrey, in a reference to the upcoming $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The company was one the largest winners in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction, which awarded funding for an area to the company that committed to deploying service for the lowest level of government support. Charter is now ahead of schedule on its $5 billion RDOF build, to which the government contributed about $1 billion. Winfrey cautioned, though, that the company might not seek BEAD funding in some states, depending on the rules that those states put in place. The company, he said, wants to make sure that rules work for private capital – an apparent reference to rules that some states have contemplated that would require public ownership of BEAD-funded projects.