October 29, 2020
Background: Phase I of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction begins today. The $16 billion first phase of RDOF will distribute broadband funds to as many as six million currently unserved rural homes and businesses.
The following statement can be attributed to USTelecom president and CEO Jonathan Spalter:
“RDOF’s mission: narrow the digital divide, maximize rural deployment and target the truly unserved is a connectivity mission shared by all USTelecom members. These innovators built the high-speed communications networks that connect more rural Americans to the internet than any other industry segment, and they are leading the charge to connect all consumers. Broadband deployment can be tough and expensive work, but with a partner at the FCC that shares our belief in the essential role of broadband, bringing quality connectivity to the most remote parts of the country takes an important step forward today.”