PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C.20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 13-2103 Released: October 31, 2013 OVER $32 MILLION OF CONNECT AMERICA FUNDING AUTHORIZED TO CONNECT UNSERVED HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN ALASKA, HAWAII, AND PUERTO RICO WC Docket No. 10-90 By this public notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) authorizes funding for the second round of Connect America Phase I, in response to elections from three price cap carriers: Alaska Communications Systems (ACS), Hawaiian Telecom, and Puerto Rico Telephone Company (PRTC). Each of these three carriers elected to accept a second round of Phase I funding.1 Because no parties challenged the elections of ACS, Hawaiian Telecom, or PRTC, funding is hereby authorized for these elections, and upon release of this Public Notice, the Universal Service Administrative Company is authorized and directed to distribute Connect America Phase I incremental support to those carriers in the amounts specified in Attachment 1.2 These carriers will receive a total of $32,764,769 to spur the deployment of broadband-capable networks in two states and one U.S. territory. ACS had challenged the National Broadband Map’s designation of 52 census blocks as being served by Internet access with speeds of at least 3 Mbps/768 kbps.3 These blocks are shown on the map as served by Yukon Tech d/b/a BBN, a fixed wireless Internet service provider. ACS alleges that BBN does not offer speeds of at least 3 Mbps/768 kbps.4 As evidence, ACS submits advertising materials from 1 Letter from Ruth Willard, Senior Director Revenue Management, Alaska Communications Systems, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, WC Docket No. 10-90 (filed Aug. 20, 2013) (ACS Election Letter); Letter from Kevin T. Paul, Senior Vice President – Technology, Hawaiian Telecom, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, WC Docket No. 10-90 (filed Aug. 16, 2013); Letter from Mario R. Barrera, Chief Operating Officer, Puerto Rico Telephone Company, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, WC Docket No. 10-90 (filed Aug. 20, 2013); Letter from Thomas J. Navin, Counsel for Puerto Rico Telephone Company, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, WC Docket No. 10-90 (filed Aug. 23, 2013). 2 Each carrier is obligated to deploy broadband-capable infrastructure to a sufficient number of locations to satisfy its buildout obligations. Deployments must conform with the rules for the second round of Phase I, including, but not limited to, the requirement that deployments take place in areas shown on the National Broadband Map as unserved by fixed Internet access with speeds of 3 Mbps downstream and 768 kbps upstream (3 Mbps/768 kbps) or in areas where the National Broadband Map’s speed designation was successfully challenged. This authorization of funding does not constitute a ruling by the Bureau that any given census block indicated in a carrier’s election contains eligible locations. Carriers will be required to certify in their two- and three-year milestone reports that the deployment locations met all the required criteria. 3 ACS Election Letter at 1. Neither PRTC nor Hawaiian Telecom indicated that they were challenging the National Broadband Map’s designation of any census blocks as served by Internet access with speeds of at least 3 Mbps/768 kbps. 4 Id. at 1-2. 2BBN’s website showing a maximum upload speed of 512 kbps, below the required threshold of 768 kbps.5 BBN did not respond to ACS’s allegations. Given the evidence presented by ACS, combined with the lack of any evidence to the contrary from BBN, the Bureau concludes that it is more likely than not that the census blocks challenged by ACS are not currently served by fixed Internet access with speeds of at least 3 Mbps/768 kbps. A list of these blocks is included as Attachment 2 to this Public Notice.6 To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty). For further information, please contact Ryan Yates, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at 202-418-7400, TTY (202) 418-0484, or at Ryan.Yates@fcc.gov. - FCC - 5 Id. at 1-2 & Attach. 6 Locations in these blocks will be treated as if they were shown on the National Broadband Map as served by Internet access with speeds of 768 kbps/200 kbps, but lacking 3 Mbps/768 kbps Internet access. 3ATTACHMENT 1 Connect America Phase I Round Two Authorized Amounts Company Authorized Amount ACS of the Northland, LLC $173,800 Hawaiian Telecom, Inc. $1,020,621 Puerto Rico Telephone Company, Inc. $31,570,348 4ATTACHMENT 2 ACS Census Blocks – Challenge Granted 022900002002324 022900002002325 022900002002240 022900002002317 022900002002247 022900002002329 022900002002322 022900002002319 022900002002320 022900002002286 022900002002287 022900002002288 022900002002278 022900002002245 022900002002276 022900002002275 022900002002279 022900002002313 022900002002309 022900002002312 022900002002311 022900002002290 022900002002280 022900002002306 022900002002249 022900002002281 022900002002291 022900002002307 022900002002263 022900002002304 022900002002264 022900002002292 022900002002301 022900002002302 022900002002242 022900002002300 022900002002285 022900002002305 022900002002293 022900002002283 022900002002294 022900002002295 022900002002284 022900002002261 022900002002260 022900002002258 022900002002256 022900002002257 022900002002267 022900002002282 022900002002259 022900002002265