FCC Offers $10 billion for Broadband Network Upgrades

Today, the FCC formally offered the nation’s largest telephone companies, including AT&T, Verizon, Frontier, CenturyLink, FairPoint, and Windstream, $10 billion in subsidies to offer broadband service to over 4 million homes and businesses that are currently unserved. Today’s offer is a critical step in “Phase II” of the Connect America Fund, which will subsidize the construction of 10 Mbps down/1 Mbps up broadband networks in these areas over the next six years. These providers have until August 27, 2015 (120 days) to accept or reject the FCC’s offer on a state-by-state basis. If they reject these offers, the FCC will begin to award these subsidies to alternative providers through a competitive auction process.

Read the full Connected Nation blog for more details.