Federal Communications Commission	DA 20-1352


DA 20-1352
Released:  November 16, 2020

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU AUTHORIZES ALL 
ELIGIBLE PRICE CAP CARRIERS TO RECEIVE A SEVENTH YEAR OF 
CONNECT AMERICA FUND PHASE II MODEL-BASED SUPPORT 

WC Docket No. 10-90

Today, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announces that all eligible price cap carriers that currently receive Connect America Phase II support based on the Connect America Cost Model (CAM) elected to receive an additional, seventh year of such support.  Upon issuance of this Public Notice, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is directed and authorized to obligate and disburse from the Universal Service Fund the amounts identified in Attachment A to the respective carriers beginning January 2021.
Consistent with the Commission’s direction in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Order, See Rural Digital Opportunity Fund; Connect America Fund, WC Docket Nos. 19-126, 10-90, Report and Order, 35 FCC Rcd 686, 740-42, paras. 127, 129 (2020) (Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Order). 
 in July the Bureau released a Public Notice establishing the process by which eligible price cap carriers could elect to receive an additional year of model-based support. See Wireline Competition Bureau Announces Deadline for Price Cap Carriers to Elect Seventh Year of Connect America Fund Phase II Model-Based Support, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 7954 (WCB 2020) (Seventh Year Election PN).
  Carriers had until September 28, 2020 to indicate, on a state-by-state basis, whether they would continue to receive model-based support for 2021. See Seventh Year Election PN, 35 FCC Rcd at 7954.
  Each price cap carrier listed in Attachment A submitted a letter signed by an officer of the company confirming that it elected to receive the model-based support amounts as specified in the July Public Notice. See id. at 7956-63.  In May 2020, Northwest Fiber, LLC d/b/a Ziply Fiber (Ziply) acquired properties from Frontier Communications Corporation in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.  See Applications Filed for the Transfer of Control of Certain Subsidiaries of Frontier Communications Corporation to Northwest Fiber, LLC, WC Docket No. 19-188, Memorandum Opinion and Order and Declaratory Ruling, 34 FCC Rcd 12344 (IB/WCB/WTB 2019).  As part of this transaction, Ziply assumed Frontier’s ongoing CAF Phase II obligations in these four states.  See id. at 12352-53, n.79.  Ziply elected to receive a seventh year of model-based support in these states.  See Letter from Byron E. Springer, Jr., General Counsel, Northwest Fiber, LLC, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC (Aug. 25, 2020).     
  In exchange for receiving this seventh year of support from January 2021 through December 2021, these carriers are “required to continue providing broadband with performance characteristics that remain reasonably comparable to the performance characteristics of terrestrial fixed broadband service in urban America.” Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Order, 35 FCC Rcd at 741-42, para. 129 (citing Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 26 FCC Rcd 17663, 17726-27, para. 163 (2011), aff’d sub nom. In re FCC 11-161, 753 F.3d 1015 (10th Cir. 2014)).
  
For additional information on this proceeding, contact Ian Forbes, Ian.Forbes@fcc.gov of the Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, (202) 418-7400.
- FCC -
Attachment A
CACM Authorized Annual Support by State

State
Carrier
Authorized Annual Support
AL
AT&T INC.
$ 23,161,780
AL
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 17,290,009
AL
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 2,998,480
AL
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 511,038
AR
AT&T INC.
$ 21,350,835
AR
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 19,761,508
AR
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 13,163,783
AZ
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 10,089,092
AZ
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 13,281,066
CA
AT&T INC.
$ 60,240,434
CA
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 14,837
CA
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 38,074,824
CO
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 26,509,143
CT
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 435,139
FL
AT&T INC.
$ 8,485,813
FL
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 10,916,671
FL
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 2,660,998
FL
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 342,490
FL
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 5,236,626
GA
AT&T INC.
$ 25,345,199
GA
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 269,719
GA
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 375,826
GA
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 24,867,807
HI
CINCINNATI BELL INC.
$ 4,424,319
IA
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 17,893,887
IA
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 4,240,587
IA
MUTUAL TELEPHONE COMPANY (IA)
$ 2,184,040
IA
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 28,672,554
IA
WINNEBAGO COOPERATIVE TELECOM ASSN.
$ 209,176
ID
CENTURYLINK, INC.
6,279,869
ID
NORTHWEST FIBER, LLC
$ 5,223,121
IL
AT&T INC.
$ 8,932,507
IL
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 2,093,982
IL
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 8,084,857
IL
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 31,017,498
IN
AT&T INC.
$ 17,576,788
IN
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 10,736,352
IN
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 22,815,087
KS
AT&T INC.
$ 18,942,367
KS
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 16,501,327
KY
AT&T INC.
$ 30,962,548
KY
CINCINNATI BELL INC.
$ 2,034,186
KY
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 21,576,987
LA
AT&T INC.
$ 27,907,591
LA
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 9,471,015
ME
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 13,289,220
MI
AT&T INC.
$ 29,750,677
MI
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 9,028,031
MI
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 21,733,859
MN
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 54,035,150
MN
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 2,516,502
MN
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 27,551,363
MN
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 1,519,855
MO
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 74,927,427
MO
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 1,689,794
MO
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 14,187,910
MP
PTI PACIFICA INC.
$ 2,627,177
MS
AT&T INC.
$ 49,772,592
MS
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 816,996
MS
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 917,403
MT
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 15,195,628
MT
NORTHWEST FIBER, LLC
$ 1,114,484
NC
AT&T INC.
$ 3,498,889
NC
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 10,008,390
NC
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 3,596,156
NC
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 1,952,082
ND
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 5,656,741
NE
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 6,888,416
NE
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 2,735,761
NE
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 13,591,437
NH
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 4,376,606
NJ
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 450,340
NM
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 10,942,747
NM
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 4,426,327
NV
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 1,072,346
NV
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 1,379,494
NY
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 2,568,269
NY
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 17,381,485
NY
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 1,557,976
OH
AT&T INC.
$ 14,802,500
OH
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 15,982,805
OH
CINCINNATI BELL INC.
$ 194,944
OH
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 420,997
OH
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 22,927,850
OH
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 4,154,270
OK
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 215,303
OK
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 7,788,213
OR
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 17,759,903
OR
NORTHWEST FIBER, LLC
$ 3,897,357
PA
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 10,562,353
PA
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 239,836
PA
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 3,891,253
PA
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 13,001,364
SC
AT&T INC.
$ 9,689,453
SC
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 2,952,228
SC
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 2,709,651
SC
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 935,383
SD
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 9,117,215
TN
AT&T INC.
$ 26,137,862
TN
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 1,662,828
TN
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 2,126,605
TX
AT&T INC.
$ 42,078,424
TX
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 11,300,418
TX
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 1,915,321
TX
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 16,576,929
TX
WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS, INC.
$ 21,260,790
UT
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 1,894,802
UT
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 2,547,047
VA
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 15,731,765
VA
WILKES TELEPHONE MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
$ 857,021
VT
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 8,789,359
WA
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 24,412,884
WA
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
$ 1,321,014
WA
NORTHWEST FIBER, LLC
$ 8,688,054
WI
AT&T INC.
$ 9,070,392
WI
CENTURYLINK, INC.
$ 55,384,589
WI
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 30,983,715
WV
FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
$ 38,068,337
Sub-Total
 
$ 1,497,972,328

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