PITTSBURGH, Dec. 7, 2020 – ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement on the completion of the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction:
“ACA Connects congratulates the FCC on the just-completed Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction, as well as the numerous ACA Connects members who will be receiving RDOF support to help close the digital divide. We especially applaud the FCC for ensuring that funding would only go to truly unserved areas, thus maximizing use of limited support and not undermining private investment.
“In addition, by awarding support through a competitive process open to incumbent providers and new entrants alike, the RDOF program will bring higher speed broadband service to unserved areas with far less federal support than has been allocated in the past.
“Further, by prioritizing bids for the highest speed services, the auction appears to have yielded substantial benefits for consumers in unserved areas, with more than 99.7% of locations receiving at least 100 Mbps service. Any future federal, state and local government broadband grant program should adopt these same requirements and processes in awarding support.”
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association – Based in Pittsburgh, ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 700 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, phone and video services to nearly 8 million customers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA Connects’ members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their businesses. For more information, visit: http://www.ACAConnects.org