The FCC announces latest RDOF winners…

The Federal Communications Commission today announced that it is ready to authorize more than $1.2 billion through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to fund new broadband deployments in 32 states.  In the largest funding round to date, 23 broadband providers will bring broadband service to over 1 million locations.  The Commission also has created the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan, a new effort to monitor and ensure compliance for universal service high-cost programs including the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.

Here are the awards in Minnesota…

Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative Inc
Census blocks: 153
Locations: 391
Total Award: $51.748.60

Red River Rural Telephone
Census blocks: 5
Locations: 11
Total Award: $29,952.00

There’s an update on what’s happening and expected…

With today’s sixth funding wave, the Commission has now announced over $4 billion in funding to winning bidders for new deployments.  Meanwhile, Commission staff continue to carefully review and process long-form applications on a rolling basis.  Over the past year the Commission has taken a number of actions to strengthen its oversight of the program, including:

• Sending letters to 197 applicants concerning areas where there was evidence of existing service or questions of waste.  Bidders have already chosen not to pursue support in approximately 5,000 census blocks in response to the Commission’s letters.

• Denying waivers for winning bidders that have not made appropriate efforts to secure state approvals or prosecute their applications.  These bidders would have otherwise received approximately $350 million.

• Publishing a list of areas where providers had defaulted, thereby making those places available for other broadband funding opportunities.

• Conducting an exhaustive technical, financial, and legal review of all winning bidders.