Media Contact: Mark Wigfield, (202) 418-0253 mark.wigfield@fcc.gov For Immediate Release FCC AUTHORIZES $524 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR RURAL BROADBAND FROM CONNECT AMERICA FUND AUCTION Third Round of Funding Starts This Month for Broadband Buildout in Rural Communities in 23 States -- WASHINGTON, July 15, 2019—The FCC today authorized over $524 million in funding over the next decade to expand broadband to 205,520 unserved rural homes and businesses in 23 states, representing the third wave of support from last year’s successful Connect America Fund Phase II auction. Providers will begin receiving funding this month. In total, the auction last fall allocated $1.488 billion in support to expand broadband to more than 700,000 unserved rural homes and small businesses over the next 10 years. The FCC has already authorized two waves of funding in May and June, and funds from those first two waves are expanding connectivity to nearly 100,000 homes and businesses that lack service. Today’s action brings total authorized funding to nearly $803 million, or over half of the $1.488 billion allocated through the auction, expanding connectivity to 305,518 homes and businesses. In the coming months, the FCC will be authorizing additional funding as it approves remaining applications of the winning bidders from the auction. “High-speed Internet provides access to opportunity in the 21st century, and the FCC’s top priority is closing the digital divide so that all Americans can fully participate in our connected society,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Today’s authorization of funding is the largest yet from the auction, nearly double the amount authorized in the first two rounds nationwide, and serving over twice as many rural homes and businesses. I am pleased that the Commission is moving quickly to authorize these funds to close the digital divide in rural America.” The Connect America Fund Phase II auction is part of a broader effort by the FCC to close the digital divide in rural America. In addition to the funding that is being made available through this auction, Chairman Pai recently proposed that the FCC launch a new Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which would provide at least $20.4 billion over 10 years to expand broadband to additional rural areas If approved, this Fund would represent the FCC’s single biggest step yet to close the digital divide. The FCC is scheduled to vote on launching a rulemaking to establish the Fund on August 1. The funding applications approved by the Commission today include the following: · AMG Technology Investment Group is receiving $281.3 million to deploy service to nearly 100,700 homes and businesses in rural Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, two-thirds of which will get service delivering speeds of 100 Megabit per second downstream/20 Mbps upstream, and the remainder, at 25 Mbps/3 Mbps · Crystal Automation Systems, Inc. is receiving $27.2 million to deploy service to 17,610 homes and businesses in rural Michigan, most of which will get service delivering speeds of at least 100 Mbps downstream/20 Mbps upstream · RiverStreet Communications of Virginia, Inc., is receiving $32.1 million to deploy service to 13,518 homes and businesses in rural Virginia at Gigabit download speeds · California Internet LP is receiving $87.8 million to deploy service to 11,845 rural California and Nevada homes and businesses at speeds of at least 100 Mbps downstream/20 Mbps upstream Below is a complete list by state of the companies receiving support, the number of homes and businesses served (locations), the amount of support over 10 years, and the minimum download/upload speeds to be provided: State Company Minimum Speed Support/10 Years # of Locations Alabama Tombigbee Communications 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $1,691,879 279 Arkansas Aristotle Unified Communications 25/3 Mbps $7,069,003 3,191 California California Internet 100/20 Mbps $82,629,018 10,922 Colorado PC Telcorp 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $387,303 33 Delaware Bloosurf 25/3 Mbps $1,188,311 1,321 Illinois AMG Technology Investment Group 100/20 Mbps $35,329,966 10,226 Illinois AMG Technology Investment Group 25/3 Mbps * 4,796 Indiana Mercury Wireless Indiana 25/3 Mbps $1,400,845 7,371 Indiana Orange County REMC 100/20 Mbps $10,200,496 2,797 Indiana Orange County REMC 1 Gbps/500 Mbps * 1,249 Indiana Perry-Spencer Rural Telephone Cooperative 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $1,182,426 359 Iowa AMG Technology Investment Group 100/20 Mbps $50,614,528 7,693 Iowa AMG Technology Investment Group 25/3 Mbps * 7,404 Iowa Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $179,957 101 Kansas AMG Technology Investment Group 100/20 Mbps $37,349,711 5,393 Kansas AMG Technology Investment Group 25/3 Mbps * 4,695 Kansas Mercury Wireless Kansas 25/3 Mbps $1,331,173 776 Kentucky Gibson Connect 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $412,624 119 Maryland Bloosurf 25/3 Mbps $4,280,186 3,770 Michigan Crystal Automation Systems 100/20 Mbps $27,299,087 17,555 Michigan Crystal Automation Systems 25/3 Mbps * 53 Michigan Crystal Automation Systems 1 Gbps/500 Mbps * 2 Michigan Mercury Wireless Indiana 25/3 Mbps $235,637 971 Michigan Midwest Energy Cooperative 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $5,171,125 2,386 Michigan Tri-County Electric Cooperative 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $117,784 106 Minnesota Federated Telephone Cooperative 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $1,431,039 808 Minnesota Roseau Electric Cooperative 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $2,081,770 326 Mississippi Aristotle Unified Communications 25/3 Mbps $277,905 80 Missouri Aristotle Unified Communications 25/3 Mbps $3,001,545 788 Missouri Chariton Valley Communications Corporation 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $4,179,666 847 Missouri Mercury Wireless Kansas 25/3 Mbps $1,641,845 1,954 Missouri Mid-States Services 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $1,868,060 358 Nebraska AMG Technology Investment Group 100/20 Mbps $40,848,390 8,768 Nevada California Internet 100/20 Mbps $5,203,386 923 Nevada Valley Communications Association 25/3 Mbps $404,754 153 North Carolina RiverStreet Communications of North Carolina 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $679,130 368 North Dakota BEK Communications Cooperative 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $1,182,155 534 Ohio Mercury Wireless Indiana 25/3 Mbps $831 20 Oklahoma AMG Technology Investment Group 100/20 Mbps $41,285,224 12,750 Oklahoma AMG Technology Investment Group 25/3 Mbps * 5,133 Oklahoma Aristotle Unified Communications 25/3 Mbps $1,803,161 3,549 Oklahoma AtLink Services 25/3 Mbps $4,762,674 12,491 Oklahoma Lake Region Technology & Communications 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $4,024,501 2,247 Oklahoma OzarksGo 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $12,129,065 5,427 Oklahoma Pine Cellular Phones 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $4,360,549 1,058 Oklahoma Southern Plains Cable 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $857,095 664 Texas AMG Technology Investment Group 100/20 Mbps $75,855,975 18,675 Texas AMG Technology Investment Group 25/3 Mbps * 15,128 Texas Texhoma Fiber 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $831,018 98 Virginia PGEC Enterprises 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $15,402,703 5,287 Virginia RiverStreet Communications of Virginia 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $32,140,887 13,518 Total     $524,324,384 205,520   * Dollar amount included in total for company       Providers must build out to 40% of the assigned homes and businesses in the areas won in a state within three years. Buildout must increase by 20% in each subsequent year, until complete buildout is reached at the end of the sixth year. More information is available on the auction is available at https://www.fcc.gov/auction/903. A map of winning bids is available at https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/caf2-auction903-results/. ### Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 ASL Videophone: (844) 432-2275 TTY: (888) 835-5322 Twitter: @FCC www.fcc.gov/media-relations This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).