The Federal Communications Commission announced on Monday $1.6 million has been allocated to support high-speed broadband access in Audrain County through two service providers. It is part of the …
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The Federal Communications Commission announced on Monday $1.6 million has been allocated to support high-speed broadband access in Audrain County through two service providers. It is part of the commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase 1 auction that intends to deliver 5G to people in rural America.
In Missouri, the auction allocated $346,297,660.20 in support to expand broadband to 199,211 unserved homes and businesses over the next 10 years. All locations in Missouri that were eligible for the auction will be receiving access to gigabit-speed broadband.
Charter Communications bid almost $1.5 million to bring access to 575 homes and businesses in Audrain County over the next decade. LTD Broadband, a company founded in 2011 that specializes in rural broadband, will address 28 county locations for $141,163.
LTD is the nation’s fourth largest fixed wireless service provider in the nation, with towers located mostly in the upper midwest.
“This historic auction is great news for the residents of so many rural Missouri communities, who will get access to high-quality broadband service in areas that for too long have been on the wrong side of the digital divide,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “This auction was the Commission’s single largest step ever taken toward delivering digital opportunity to every American and is another key success in our ongoing commitment to universal service.”
The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction is part of a broader effort by the FCC to close the digital divide in rural America. In October 2020, the Commission adopted rules creating the 5G Fund for Rural America, which will distribute up to $9 billion over the next decade to bring 5G wireless connectivity to rural America.
Phase II will provide at least an additional $1 billion, along with any unawarded funds from Phase I, to specifically target the deployment of technologically innovative 5G networks that facilitate precision agriculture.
The auction accounts for T-Mobile’s enforceable commitment to the Commission to cover 90 percent of rural Americans with its 5G network within six years. The Order also requires 5G Fund winning bidders to deploy networks providing 5G mobile broadband at speeds of at least 35/3 Mbps and meet interim deployment milestones.
