The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had adopted new rules to move forward with targeted investments in the deployment of advanced, 5G mobile wireless broadband services in rural communities.
“With the progress we’ve made in mapping broadband service availability, there is no reason to wait to put the 5G Fund to work connecting households and businesses in rural communities across the country,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “We are ready to use every tool available to make sure that those who live, work, and travel in rural America have access to advanced, 5G mobile wireless broadband services.”
5G Fund Auction for Rural Areas
For Phase I of the 5G Fund for Rural America, the Commission will use a multi-round reverse auction to distribute up to USD 9 billion to bring voice and 5G mobile broadband service to rural areas of the country, while also proportionally increasing the Tribal reserve budget—a set-aside portion of the fund to support connecting Tribal communities.
The 5G Fund Phase I auction will rely on the mobile coverage data obtained in the Broadband Data Collection and reflected on the FCC’s National Broadband Map.
The Task Force, dedicated to implementing long-overdue improvements to the agency’s broadband data and mapping tools, continues to gather data and update the maps to ensure that programs like the 5G Fund effectively target its resources.
Additionally, to promote the deployment of Open RAN and its benefits for competition, national security, and supply chain reliability, the 5G Fund now includes up to USD 900 million in incentives.
Other provisions noted are the inclusion of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands in the 5G Fund Phase 1 auction and the mandate to implement cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans for the 5G Fund support recipients.
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