RDOF Support Authorized

The FCC issued a Public Notice last week authorizing support for 466 winning bids in Phase I of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (“RDOF”) (Vol. XVIII, Issue 31).  The Commission will release a state-level summary that will provide for each applicant: (1) the total support amount over 10 years and total number of locations each applicant is authorized; (2) the total number of locations the recipient must offer the required services for each performance tier and latency in each state; and (3) the eligible census blocks authorized in each state.  The support will be disbursed in 130 monthly payments, which will begin at the end of this month. 

Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program Webinar

The FCC released a Public Notice last week announcing that it will host a public webinar on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (the “Program) (Vol. XVIII, Issue 32).  The webinar will begin at 10:30 a.m. EST on September 27, 2021, and will provide an overview of the Program, provider eligibility information, and application procedures.  The Commission will walk through the online portal for filing requests for funding, the User Guide for participating parties, and the outreach tool kit materials developed to increase awareness about the Program.  Registration is not required for the webinar.  

911 Fee Diversion Petition for Reconsideration

The City and County of Denver, along with 15 other 911 authorities in the state of Colorado, filed a Petition for Reconsideration with the FCC last week requesting the Commission reconsider its Report and Order (Vol. XVIII, Issue 26) outlining what constitutes 911 fee diversion.  The Petition encourages the FCC to include a safe harbor provision for entities that utilize funds from 911 fees in compliance with state law, noting that Colorado law prohibits 911 fee diversion at the state and local level.  Colorado statutes specifically earmark funds for 911 use, and the petitioners emphasize that limiting 911 fee uses could further restrict the ability of these organizations to appropriately expend 911 fees. 

3.45 GHz Band Auction Applicants

Last week, the FCC’s Office of Economics and Analytics released a Public Notice announcing that 33 applicants are qualified to participate in Auction 110 (Vol. XVIII, Issue 23), which will make 100 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for flexible wireless services. Bidding in Auction 10 will begin on October 5 with bids on generic blocks in each geographic area.  In the second phase, bidders will bid on frequency-specific license assignments.  All applicants, including those that are not qualified to bid, remain subject to the Commission’s rules prohibiting certain communications pertaining to bids and bidding strategies.