We are pleased that several dozen NTCA members appear to have prevailed in the recent RDOF auction, and the FCC’s initial reports of the scope of Gigabit connectivity are encouraging. That being said, with the bidding part of the auction complete, the real work is only just beginning to deliver broadband for those who were already let down once by a universal service system that over-promised but seriously under-delivered in too many places and to too many people.
As a matter of transparency and accountability for critical values for precious government resources, it is essential now for the FCC to vet thoroughly those who may have made promises behind the scenes in their applications claiming the ability to deliver Gigabit and 100 Mbps services using technologies that have never done so on a widespread basis – or at all – in rural America. There is far too much money at stake and far too many consumers on hold to gamble on confidential promises and untested technologies, and the real success of this effort will be defined not by the auction results themselves but by the actual delivery of robust and reliable broadband to rural consumers.
In taking a glance back at NTCA’s numerous filings on RDOF as it was being crafted, we STRONGLY urged the FCC to engage in more thorough vetting of would-be bidders PRIOR to their participation in the auction. A large portion of our filing from late last year sticks out like a sore thumb and harbinger of disappoints to follow. For example we noted, “While NTCA recognizes the need to balance rigorous upfront showings with the potential to deter participation in the auction, it is important that the Commission make a greater effort to require potential RDOF bidders to demonstrate more thoroughly their qualifications and capabilities to deliver as promised prior to participating in the auction. This can be achieved through a few simple steps, focused particularly on an entity’s technical and operation capabilities to perform.”
We continue to hope that the FCC’s process will focus upon and result in fulfilling the right national objective of deployment and that the FCC will still prioritize making this right by vetting RDOF winners in a more transparent and accountable way before money flows or billions of dollars and rural Americans will be the real losers here.