Contact: Lauren Gaydos, 703-351-2015
Arlington, Va., (February 5, 2021)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today submitted a set of three recommendations for the FCC to increase transparency and accountability in the agency’s review of long-form applications by provisionally winning bidders in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction. These recommendations were outlined in a letter to Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel following repeated calls in the past by NTCA for the FCC to vet bidders more thoroughly prior to the auction.
Specifically, NTCA encouraged the commission to: (1) adopt objective technical standards for review of long-form RDOF applications; (2) permit third-party review and comment on the applications subject to protective order; and (3) publish the rationales for the agency’s final determinations with respect to each application. NTCA noted that such measures are essential to help ensure that consumers in eligible areas will receive the levels of voice and broadband services promised and that federal ratepayer resources will not be wasted.
These process recommendations come on the heels of overwhelming calls from Congress for the FCC to more thoroughly vet winning bidders and NTCA’s filing of a white paper by Vantage Point Solutions with the FCC earlier this week setting forth technical standards for evaluating the capabilities of fixed wireless technology to deliver gigabit performance in rural markets.
“The success of the RDOF auction can only be declared when it is confirmed that rural Americans will receive the services they have been promised,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield. “At a time when broadband connectivity is more important than ever, we need a transparent vetting process that references objective standards and facilitates public input in determining whether winning bidders will be able to live up to their commitments.”
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.