Rural
FCC Draft Order Would Loosen RDOF, CAF II Auction Financing Rules
The item would swap out Weiss ratings and let RDOF winner reduce their letters of credit sooner.
Funding
RiverStreet Seeks FCC Help Because of Competing Broadband Deployments
RiverStreet aims to sidestep RDOF penalties after Cox deployment overlaps in Virginia.
Rural
Ziply Fiber Selling to Bell Canada Parent in $5 Billion Deal
Ziply and Bell plan to accelerate fiber growth across both sides of the border.
Rural
FCC Approves Ziply Fiber’s Acquisition of LocalTel
The FCC said the transaction will serve to benefit consumers
Rural
Mecklenburg Electric Coop Seeks Relief From CAF II Mess
EMPOWER says existing FCC financing rules could imperil its ability to affordably serve locations in three Virginia counties.
Rural
Study: CAF II ISPs Stopped Serving Many Locations After Funding Ended
While not a violation of FCC rules, a former deputy bureau chief said she was surprised to see such a drop off.
FCC
TDS Telecom Requests FCC Approval of ILEC Ownership Transfer
The companies told the FCC that the transaction will serve the public interest.
Rural
FCC Fines AT&T and NextLink for Communicating During CAF II Auction
The companies are on the hook for a combined $175,000.
Rural
FCC Hits Pause On Bank Ratings Firm After Hearing Concerns, Complaints
For one year, FCC won't use Weiss ratings for banks' letters of credit of RDOF, CAF II winners.
Rural
RDOF Winners Seek Amnesty Amidst Rising Costs
The RDOF winners point to unexpected surges in broadband construction costs occurring after the auction.
Rural
FCC Seeks Public Input on RDOF Amnesty Proposal
Nearly 70 broadband associations have asked the FCC to permit recipients of RDOF and CAF II to relinquish their commitments.
Rural
FCC Urged to Grant Amnesty for RDOF Recipients
Almost 70 broadband associations are urging the FCC to allow ISPs who cannot fulfill their commitments to surrender their grants with a lesser penalty.
E-Rate
Broadband Forum Launches 3 New Specs for 5G, FCC Rural Auction Winds Down, Connected Nation Goes K-12
Broadband Forum published three new standards Monday that it believes will help promote the mass adoption of 5G and unlock a new wave of 5G innovation. The three technical specifications, including 5G Wireless Wireline Convergence Architecture (TR-470), Access Gateway Function (AGF) Functional Requi
FCC
New Map of Potential Rural Broadband Bidders, Problems With Lifeline, Twitter’s ‘Read Before’ Feature
Cooperative Network Services, a consultant that works with broadband providers in the upper Midwest, recently created a map plotting the current service areas of bidders in the upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction. The map includes information from 366 of the 505 of providers who applied.
Rural
Federal Communications Commission Outlines Steps for a $16 Billion Broadband Opportunity in Rural America
May 7, 2020 — The Federal Communications Commission does not plan any delay in proceeding with the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction, according to agency officials speaking at a webinar on Tuesday. The webinar walked attendees through the application process, timelines, as well as the “reverse
CostQuest
Why the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund is So Significant, and How to Succeed in Applying For RDOF
TYSONS, Virginia, May 4, 2020 – The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (“RDOF”) is a significant acceleration of the Federal Communications Commission’s efforts to subsidize the construction of broadband infrastructure in rural communities. The FCC has pledged to allocate $20.4 billion of support, over
