Universal Service Administrative Company Updates Connect America Fund Map
Providers reported progress on rebuilding and expanding networks in Puerto Rico.
Jake Neenan
WASHINGTON, January 26, 2024 – The Universal Service Administrative Company released on Friday an updated version of its Connect America Fund Broadband Map.
The map shows locations where broadband infrastructure has been deployed with subsidies from the Connect America Fund.
That money comes from the Federal Communications Commission’s larger Universal Service Fund, which is managed by USAC. The USF spends roughly $8 billion annually on broadband subsidies for low-income households, schools, libraries, and healthcare centers in addition to infrastructure projects. Lawmakers are looking into reforming the fund’s contribution and distribution mechanisms.
The new map also comes with more recent provider-reported data, certified as of September 2023, on the various CAF funding programs. Providers reported serving more than 7.6 million homes and businesses with CAF money, up 684,000 over 2022.
RDOF
Providers reported serving more than 57,000 new locations with Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support, bringing the total to nearly 448,000. The program requires at least 25 * 3 Mbps, but most participants committed to providing speeds in excess of that.
In 2020, providers bid in a reverse auction for RDOF support, coming to the FCC with plans to get broadband to certain areas for the least money. The program got off to a rocky start, with multiple high profile defaults after winning bidders – namely Starlink and smaller broadband provider LTD – failed to convince the commission they could make good on their commitments, but the FCC wrapped up its applicant review in late 2023 without any more high-profile defaults.
Money started going out the door in 2021, and RDOF recipients will receive support for ten years and have up to eight years to complete their deployments. Participants have committed to serving a total of nearly 3.5 million homes and businesses.
Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund
Providers reported serving more than 700,000 homes and businesses in Puerto Rico, an increase of over half a million from 2022, as part of rebuilding efforts after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island in 2017.
Stage II of the Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund and the Connect the USVI Fund provide support for rebuilding, expanding, and storm-proofing networks in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but projects have only been reported complete in Puerto Rico. The support period runs from 2021 to 2031 with a 2027 deployment deadline.
Two providers are receiving support to serve more than 1.2 million locations in Puerto Rico, and one provider is slated to serve more than 46,000 in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Alaska Plan
Providers reported serving more than 46,000 new locations in Alaska as part of the Alaska Plan, a fund set up in 2017 to address unique challenges of getting broadband to residents of the state. That brings the total to more than 49,000.
Eight carriers are receiving support through 2026, with commitments to reach more than 131,000 Alaska residents with broadband. The FCC moved in October 2023 to seek comment on standing up a new fund to continue subsidizing internet in the state once the Alaska Plan is sunset.
