Federal Communications Commission DA 25-1019 DA 25-1019 Released: December 5, 2025 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU RE-AUTHORIZES REVISED ALTERNATIVE CONNECT AMERICA MODEL I SUPPORT FOR CORN BELT TELEPHONE COMPANY WC Docket No. 10-90 The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) re-authorizes Revised Alternative Connect America Model Support I (Revised A-CAM I) support and deployment obligations previously authorized on April 29, 2019, to Templeton Telephone Company (TTC) in Iowa for Study Area Code (SAC) 351308 to Corn Belt Telephone Company (CBT). See Federal Communications Commission, Wireline Competition Bureau, ACAM Authorization Summary, CAF-ACAM 2.3.2 – Authorization Report Version 5.2, Authorized A-CAM Support & Obligations – to Date Offer Authorizations, January 10, 2025, https://www.fcc.gov/document/cam-authorization-reports-52 (January 2025 Authorization Report). In January 2017, the Bureau authorized 182 rate-of-return companies, including TTC, to receive A-CAM support that had elected the revised A-CAM offers, including TTC. Wireline Competition Bureau Authorizes 182 Rate-of-Return Companies to Receive More than $454 Million Annually in Alternative Connect America Cost Model Support to Expand Rural Broadband, WC Docket No. 10-90, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 842 (WCB 2017) (A-CAM Second Authorization Public Notice). In April 2019, WCB announced that 186 rate-of-return companies, including TTC, elected 242 revised offers to receive additional Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) support. See Wireline Competition Bureau Authorizes 186 Rate-of-Return Companies to Receive an Additional $65.7 Million Annually in Alternative Connect America Cost Model Support to Expand Rural Broadband, WC Docket No. 10-90, Public Notice, 34 FCC Rcd 2780 (WCB 2019) (Revised A-CAM Public Notice). 47 CFR 54.311(a)(2) (“‘Revised A–CAM I’ refers to carriers initially authorized to receive CAF–ACAM support as of January 24, 2017, and were subsequently authorized to receive CAF–ACAM pursuant to a revised offer on April 29, 2019. For such carriers, the first program year of CAF-ACAM is 2017.”). The Bureau takes this action in connection with the Bureau’s approval, pursuant to section 214(a) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and section 63.04 of the Commission’s rules, See 47 U.S.C. § 214(a); 47 CFR § 63.04. of a request for Commission consent for the transfer of TTC’s telecommunications assets and customers to CBT as well as its Revised A-CAM I support and related obligations. See Domestic Section 214 Application Granted for the Acquisition of Certain Assets of Templeton Telephone Company by Corn Belt Telephone Company, WC Docket No. 25-163, Public Notice, DA 25-907 (WCB Sept. 26, 2025) (TTC-CBT 214 Transfer Public Notice). We note that Corn Belt has received a designation from the Iowa Utilities Commission as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier in SAC 351308, conditioned upon the FCC’s approval of the transaction and consummation of the transaction. See Cornbelt and Templeton Telephone Company, Order Approving Assignment of ETC Designation, Iowa Utilities Commission Docket No. ETA-2025-0001 (Apr. 3, 2025). The transaction was consummated on October 31, 2025, and as of consummation, TTC has transferred Revised A-CAM I support authorized to TTC, thus warranting the re-authorization of this support to CBT. See Letter from Donald L. Herman Jr., Counsel for Corn Belt Telephone Company and Templeton Telephone Company to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, WC Docket No. 25-163 (Nov. 3, 2025) (providing notice that the transaction that the Bureau approved in the TTC-CBT 214 Transfer Public Notice was consummated as of October 31, 2025). As of this re-authorization, CBT is eligible to receive all future support payments in accordance with the Revised A-CAM I program’s requirements and conditions. Among other conditions that CBT must meet, CBT must report broadband deployment to required locations for SAC 351308 in the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) High-Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal. The Bureau therefore releases today a supplemental Authorization Report specifying the separate Revised A-CAM I support amount and related obligations. Revised Authorization Report Version 5.3 for Corn Belt Telephone, December 5, 2025, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-415771A1.xlsx. The support amounts and deployment obligations are wholly consistent with January 2025 Authorization Report, and there is no change to the total authorized Revised A-CAM I support. For reference purposes, the Bureau also releases Authorization Report Version 5.3, Authorized A-CAM Support & Obligations – to Date Offer Authorizations, a report that amends the prior version consistent with today’s re-authorization. Authorization Report Version 5.3, Authorized A-CAM Support & Obligations – to Date Offer Authorizations, December 5, 2025, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-415773A1.xlsx. The Bureau further authorizes and directs USAC to obligate and disburse the authorized support amounts over the remainder of the Revised A-CAM I term beginning with the first disbursement after re-authorization and through December 31, 2028, as reflected in the revised Authorization Report. We remind CBT that as of this re-authorization, it assumes sole responsibility for complying with universal service fund requirements and Commission rules for SAC 351308, regardless of any preexisting or reasonably foreseeable conditions that could impact its ability to meet its obligations in the future, including technical, marketplace, and on-the-ground conditions. CBT assumes all risks and consequences of noncompliance with the Revised A-CAM I obligations for SAC 351308 and must meet all administrative, performance, and deployment obligations and deadlines, See Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order, Order and Order on Reconsideration, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 3087, 3097-3102, paras. 23-35 (2016) (2016 Rate-of-Return Order); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order on Reconsideration, 33 FCC Rcd 11893, 11900-02, paras. 22-29 (2018) (increasing funding cap and extending the term of support by two years, through 2028, for carriers electing Revised A-CAM I in exchange for increased 25/3 Mbps deployment obligations) (2018 Rate-of-Return Order). Revised A-CAM I support recipients must also meet certain performance metrics and associated testing requirements. See generally Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Order, 33 FCC Rcd 6509 (WCB 2018); Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Order on Reconsideration, 34 FCC Rcd 10109 (2019); Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Order, WC Docket No. 10-90, Order, 35 FCC Rcd 14658 (WCB 2020) (clarifying certain requirements). including all milestones CBT is required to serve a number of locations at 25/3 Mbps equal to 70% of its fully funded locations by the end of 2025, 80% by the end of 2026, 90% by the end of 2027, and 100% by the end of 2028. 2018 Rate-of-Return Order, 33 FCC Rcd at 11902, para. 29. With respect to those locations to which TTC previously had committed to provide 10/1 Mbps service, CBT is required to serve a number of locations equal to 90% of fully funded locations by the end of 2025 and to 100% of fully funded locations by the end of 2026. Id. (providing that electing carriers are obligated to meet the deployment milestones to which they previously agreed with respect to 10/1 Mbps service); 2016 Rate-of-Return Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 3100-01. and annual reporting of broadband deployment to required locations for this SAC in the HUBB portal. 47 CFR § 54.316. For additional information on this proceeding, contact Nathan Eagan (Nathan.Eagan@fcc.gov) or Nissa Laughner (Nissa.Laughner@fcc.gov) of the Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, (202) 418-7400. - FCC - 2