FCC Denies Mercury’s RDOF Waiver Request
Provider now faces over $25M in penalties for defaults.
WASHINGTON, August 20, 2025 – The Federal Communications Commission showed no mercy when it tore into Mercury Broadband.
“Mercury’s decision to bid on areas, win support, apply for support, and then default has potentially delayed the deployment of broadband to tens of thousands of Americans living in high-cost areas,” the commission wrote Tuesday. Referencing Mercury’s claim that it would be “unfair and inequitable” to not grant the provider a waiver, the commission turned Mercury’s words against it, arguing that “it would be unfair and inequitable to apply a different [penalty] calculation to Mercury.”
The FCC’s sharp rebuke came after the broadband provider, headquartered in Mission, Kansas, asked the FCC to waive an estimated $25 million in penalties for defaulting on more than 92,000 Rural Digital Opportunity Fund locations.
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