FCC Authorizes Second Wave of Funding for Rural Broadband From Connect America Fund Auction
The following press release was issued on the Federal Communications Commission's website on June 10, 2019
Media Contact:
Chelsea Fallon, (202) 418-7991
chelsea.fallon@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
FCC AUTHORIZES SECOND WAVE OF FUNDING FOR RURAL BROADBAND FROM CONNECT AMERICA FUND AUCTION
Another Round of Funding Starts This Month for Broadband Buildout in Rural Communities in 22 States
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WASHINGTON, June 10, 2019—The FCC today authorized $166.8 million in funding over the next decade to expand broadband to 60,850 unserved rural homes and businesses in 22 states, representing the second wave of support from last year’s successful Connect America Fund Phase II auction. Providers will begin receiving funding this month.
In total, the auction last fall allocated $1.488 billion in support to expand broadband to more than 700,000 unserved rural homes and small businesses over the next 10 years. The FCC authorized the first wave of funding in May, providing $111.6 million in funding over the next decade to expand service to 37,148 unserved homes and businesses in 12 states.
To date, the first two rounds of authorizations are providing $278.4 million over the next decade to expand service to 97,998 new locations. Over the coming months, the FCC will be authorizing additional funding as it approves the final applications of the winning bidders from the auction.
“I’m pleased to announce that the second round of funding starts now for buildout of high-speed Internet service to 60,850 rural homes and businesses, which will bring them to the right side of the digital divide and give them access to the 21st-century opportunities that broadband offers,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Providers will be deploying gigabit-speed connections to the majority of locations for which funding is being authorized today, while nearly 8,000 homes and small businesses on Tribal lands will be getting fixed broadband service for the first time.”
The funding applications approved by the Commission today include the following:
• Central Virginia Services, an electric coop, is receiving $28.6 million to deploy gigabit connections to nearly 11,000 locations in rural Virginia
• NTUA Wireless is receiving $28.4 million to serve over 7,000 homes and small businesses in Tribal areas of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, while SW DinehNet will serve 869 Tribal locations in New Mexico
• Co-Mo Comm, an electric coop, is receiving nearly $22 million to deploy gigabit connections to over 8,350 rural locations in Missouri
• Commnet of Nevada is receiving $23.6 million to provide service to over 12,800 homes and businesses in 11 counties in rural Nevada
Below is a complete list by state of the companies receiving support, the number of homes and businesses served (locations), the amount of support over 10 years, and the minimum download/upload speeds to be provided:
Providers must build out to 40% of the assigned homes and businesses in the areas won in a state within three years. Buildout must increase by 20% in each subsequent year, until complete buildout is reached at the end of the sixth year.
The Connect America Fund Phase II auction is part of a broader effort by the FCC to close the digital divide in rural America. In addition to the funding that will be made available through this auction, the Commission recently provided 186 companies in 43 states $65.7 million in additional annual funding to upgrade broadband speeds in rural communities, and offered incentives for over 500 rural carriers to provide faster broadband to over 1 million rural homes and businesses. Chairman Pai also announced his intention to create the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which will provide $20.4 billion over the next decade to connect approximately four million rural homes and businesses to high-speed broadband, representing the FCC’s single biggest step yet to close the digital divide.
More information is available on the auction is available at https://www.fcc.gov/auction/903. A map of winning bids is available at https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/caf2-auction903-results/.
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Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
ASL Videophone: (844) 432-2275
TTY: (888) 835-5322
Twitter: @FCC
www.fcc.gov/media-relations
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).
Media Contact:
Chelsea Fallon, (202) 418-7991
chelsea.fallon@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
FCC AUTHORIZES SECOND WAVE OF FUNDING FOR RURAL BROADBAND FROM CONNECT AMERICA FUND AUCTION
Another Round of Funding Starts This Month for Broadband Buildout in Rural Communities in 22 States
--
WASHINGTON, June 10, 2019—The FCC today authorized $166.8 million in funding over the next decade to expand broadband to 60,850 unserved rural homes and businesses in 22 states, representing the second wave of support from last year’s successful Connect America Fund Phase II auction. Providers will begin receiving funding this month.
In total, the auction last fall allocated $1.488 billion in support to expand broadband to more than 700,000 unserved rural homes and small businesses over the next 10 years. The FCC authorized the first wave of funding in May, providing $111.6 million in funding over the next decade to expand service to 37,148 unserved homes and businesses in 12 states.
To date, the first two rounds of authorizations are providing $278.4 million over the next decade to expand service to 97,998 new locations. Over the coming months, the FCC will be authorizing additional funding as it approves the final applications of the winning bidders from the auction.
“I’m pleased to announce that the second round of funding starts now for buildout of high-speed Internet service to 60,850 rural homes and businesses, which will bring them to the right side of the digital divide and give them access to the 21st-century opportunities that broadband offers,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Providers will be deploying gigabit-speed connections to the majority of locations for which funding is being authorized today, while nearly 8,000 homes and small businesses on Tribal lands will be getting fixed broadband service for the first time.”
The funding applications approved by the Commission today include the following:
• Central Virginia Services, an electric coop, is receiving $28.6 million to deploy gigabit connections to nearly 11,000 locations in rural Virginia
• NTUA Wireless is receiving $28.4 million to serve over 7,000 homes and small businesses in Tribal areas of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, while SW DinehNet will serve 869 Tribal locations in New Mexico
• Co-Mo Comm, an electric coop, is receiving nearly $22 million to deploy gigabit connections to over 8,350 rural locations in Missouri
• Commnet of Nevada is receiving $23.6 million to provide service to over 12,800 homes and businesses in 11 counties in rural Nevada
Below is a complete list by state of the companies receiving support, the number of homes and businesses served (locations), the amount of support over 10 years, and the minimum download/upload speeds to be provided:
| State | Company | Minimum Speed | Locations | Support /
10 Years |
| Arizona | NTUA Wireless | 25/3 Mbps | 4,959 | $21,262,510 |
| Arkansas | Next, Powered by NAEC | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 6,582 | $22,600,026 |
| Delaware | Verizon Delaware | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 22 | $148,090 |
| Illinois | Illinois Electric Cooperative | 100/20 Mbps | 804 | $2,276,419 |
| Iowa | Heartland Telecommunications Company of Iowa | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 191 | $627,920 |
| Kansas | IdeaTek Telcom | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 2,490 | $6,186,882 |
| Maryland | Verizon Maryland | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 1,194 | $3,058,921 |
| Massachusetts | Verizon New England | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 305 | $948,305 |
| Michigan | Great Lakes Energy Connections | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 357 | $1,043,543 |
| Minnesota | Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 315 | $1,313,543 |
| Minnesota | Garden Valley Telephone Company | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 95 | $880,346 |
| Minnesota | West Central Telephone Association | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 532 | $611,934 |
| Minnesota | Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 209 | $552,330 |
| Missouri | Co-Mo Comm | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 8,356 | $21,968,964 |
| Missouri | Callabyte Technology | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 1,485 | $2,174,192 |
| Nevada | Commnet of Nevada | 25/3 Mbps | 12,844 | $23,669,837 |
| New Jersey | Verizon New Jersey | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 510 | $1,621,782 |
| New Mexico | NTUA Wireless | 25/3 Mbps | 1,476 | $4,612,929 |
| New Mexico | SW DinehNet | 25/3 Mbps | 869 | $2,038,738 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Western Telephone Company | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 573 | $2,303,928 |
| Oregon | Douglas Service | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 533 | $3,475,834 |
| Pennsylvania | Verizon Pennsylvania | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 699 | $1,672,629 |
| Pennsylvania | Verizon North | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 10 | $14,654 |
| Rhode Island | Verizon New England | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 165 | $475,303 |
| Tennessee | Meriwether Lewis Connect | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 290 | $1,183,627 |
| Tennessee | HolstonConnect | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 517 | $535,417 |
| Utah | NTUA Wireless | 25/3 Mbps | 606 | $2,566,538 |
| Virginia | Central Virginia Services | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 10,827 | $28,602,957 |
| Virginia | BARConnects | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 1,734 | $4,974,237 |
| Virginia | EMPOWER Broadband, Inc. | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 838 | $1,868,320 |
| Virginia | Verizon Virginia | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 421 | $1,399,211 |
| Virginia | Verizon South | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 35 | $138,038 |
| West Virginia | Hardy Telecommunications | 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | 7 | $47,435 |
| Total | 60,850 | $166,855,339 |
Providers must build out to 40% of the assigned homes and businesses in the areas won in a state within three years. Buildout must increase by 20% in each subsequent year, until complete buildout is reached at the end of the sixth year.
The Connect America Fund Phase II auction is part of a broader effort by the FCC to close the digital divide in rural America. In addition to the funding that will be made available through this auction, the Commission recently provided 186 companies in 43 states $65.7 million in additional annual funding to upgrade broadband speeds in rural communities, and offered incentives for over 500 rural carriers to provide faster broadband to over 1 million rural homes and businesses. Chairman Pai also announced his intention to create the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which will provide $20.4 billion over the next decade to connect approximately four million rural homes and businesses to high-speed broadband, representing the FCC’s single biggest step yet to close the digital divide.
More information is available on the auction is available at https://www.fcc.gov/auction/903. A map of winning bids is available at https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/caf2-auction903-results/.
###
Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
ASL Videophone: (844) 432-2275
TTY: (888) 835-5322
Twitter: @FCC
www.fcc.gov/media-relations
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).