Media Contact: Anne Veigle anne.veigle@fcc.gov For Immediate Release FCC ANNOUNCES OVER $640 MILLION FOR BROADBAND THROUGH THE RURAL DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY FUND WHILE CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN PROGRAM To Date Over $4.7 Billion in Broadband Funding Announced for Nearly 300 Carriers in 47 States Serving Over 2.6 Million Locations -- WASHINGTON, March 10, 2022— The Federal Communications Commission today announced that it is ready to authorize more than $640 million through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to fund new broadband deployments in 26 states bringing service to nearly 250,000 locations. To date, the program has provided $4.7 billion in funding to nearly 300 carriers for new deployments in 47 states to bring broadband to almost 2.7 million locations. “Today’s funding will help connect hundreds of thousands of Americans to high-speed, broadband internet service,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “As we approve this funding, we remain committed to making sure that this program serves areas that truly need broadband and funds carriers that can do the job, and our new Rural Broadband Accountability Plan will ensure just that.” Earlier this year, Chairwoman Rosenworcel established the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan (RBAP), a new effort to monitor and ensure compliance for universal service high-cost programs including the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and Connect America Fund Phase II Auction. The RBAP made a number of changes and enhancements to existing audit and verification procedures, including doubling the number of audits and verifications, conducting the first on-site audits for the programs, and focusing audits and verifications on the largest winning bidders. A fact sheet on the RBAP is available here: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-creates-rural-broadband-accountability-plan. The Commission also announced a number of defaulted bids, making the census blocks in those defaulted bids potentially eligible for other funding programs. A list of the eligible census blocks covered by defaulted bids is available on the Auction 904 website under the “Results” tab, https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904/round-results. Other steps to strengthen oversight of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program include: · Sending letters to 197 applicants concerning areas where there was evidence of existing service or questions of waste. Bidders have already chosen not to pursue support in approximately 5,000 census blocks in response to the Commission’s letters. · Denying waivers for winning bidders that have not made appropriate efforts to secure state approvals or prosecute their applications. These bidders would have otherwise received approximately $350 million. · Conducting an exhaustive technical, financial, and legal review of all winning bidders. A list of the eligible census blocks covered by the winning bids announced today is available under the “Results” tab on this page: https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904/round-results. For a list of RDOF providers and funding amounts by state, see https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904. ### Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / 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).