FCC Acts to Help Difficult to Serve Areas with 5G

Taking additional steps to help close the digital divide, the FCC released a Public Notice on November 16, 2020, adopting an "adjustment factor" that will help direct more 5G Fund support to harder to serve areas.  The adjustment factor will assign weights to areas eligible to receive 5G Fund support that take into consideration the relative cost of serving areas with difficult terrain and the potential business case for each area.  Areas with more difficult terrain and that are are less profitable to serve will receive greater weight and therefore greater support.

The Public Notice continues to evidence the current FCC's priority in ensuring that all Americans have access to advanced mobile services like 5G.  But it also comes on the heels of the FCC's decision to delay an auction of 5G Fund Phase I support pending the new mobile coverage data it collects through its Digital Opportunity Data Collection proceeding.  That could leave an opportunity for the FCC under the new Administration, which will likely have the same overarching goal but may differ on the details, to make additional adjustments in the new year.  It will be interesting to see if the new FCC acts to revise the rules and/or processes by which 5G Fund support will be awarded.  Check out our post on the current rules for the 5G Fund!