On January 22, 2020, Mike Romano of NTCA spoke with Preston Wise, rural broadband advisor to Chairman Ajit Pai about the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. NTCA noted the importance of the FCC seeking comment on how to identity and address the need for potential ongoing universal service support in rural areas that have access to speeds in excess of 25/3 Mbps broadband. NTCA mentioned "market-failure areas", which are those areas where networks exist only by the grace of universal service support and where services will not remain reasonably comparable in price and/or quality without ongoing support.
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, WC Docket No.19-126; Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90