Media Contact: Anne Veigle, (202) 418-0506 anne.veigle@fcc.gov For Immediate Release FCC RELEASES FINAL LIST OF AREAS ELIGIBLE FOR RURAL DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY FUND PHASE I AUCTION Auction Beginning on October 29 Could Connect 10.25 Million Unserved Americans WASHINGTON, October 8, 2020—The Federal Communications Commission today announced the final list of areas that will be eligible for bidding in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction, which will target up to $16 billion to census blocks with no fixed broadband service meeting the Commission’s minimum standards. In total, about 5.3 million unserved homes and businesses are located in areas eligible for bidding in the Phase I auction, which will begin on October 29. The auction will prioritize bids for the deployment of broadband networks providing higher speeds up to 1 Gbps and lower latency. “The current pandemic has highlighted the importance of bringing broadband access to all Americans, and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund is our boldest step yet to bridge the digital divide,” said Chairman Pai. “Our announcement today demonstrates the broad impact that our investment in rural America will have across the country. Our staff estimates that as many as 10.25 million Americans live in areas that could be connected to broadband through the Phase I auction, which starts in three weeks. The auction will end up connecting consumers from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains, and from Appalachia to the Gulf Coast, who are currently missing out on digital opportunity and the economic, educational, healthcare, civic, and social benefits it brings.” The numbers below summarize state-by-state eligibility and were developed in accord with the eligibility criteria adopted in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Order. State Locations State Locations Alabama 197,240 Nebraska 43,445 Arizona 131,949 Nevada 31,620 Arkansas 201,923 New Hampshire 18,243 California 370,986 New Jersey 11,933 Colorado 77,625 New Mexico 64,408 Connecticut 3,281 New York 46,953 Delaware 7,757 North Carolina 158,805 Florida 147,162 North Dakota 2,780 Georgia 181,070 Ohio 191,832 Hawaii 8,081 Oklahoma 126,153 Idaho 40,753 Oregon 82,583 Illinois 159,967 Pennsylvania 190,325 Indiana 161,688 Rhode Island 3,678 Iowa 53,819 South Carolina 109,300 Kansas 46,827 South Dakota 10,051 Kentucky 99,200 Tennessee 166,406 Louisiana 176,614 Texas 311,108 Maine 27,967 Utah 10,784 Maryland 38,990 Vermont 19,468 Massachusetts 29,491 Virginia 189,358 Michigan 251,083 Washington 103,155 Minnesota 144,099 West Virginia 120,156 Mississippi 219,466 Wisconsin 240,840 Missouri 199,211 Wyoming 18,978 Montana 46,076 Additional information about the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I (Auction 904) can be found at: https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904 ### Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / TTY: (888) 835-5322 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov 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).