Nearly 300 homes and offices in Tulare County will be receiving faster internet access in the coming years thanks to new funding approved by the Federal Communications Commission last month.
The FCC announced on Dec. 16 that the $360,000 in funding for Tulare County would provide 278 residences and businesses with broadband speeds of at least 25 megabytes per second (Mbps) for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads, which would meet FCC standards for broadband connections. According to the FCC, streaming video and online gaming takes at least 3 Mbps while telecommuting and streaming ultra HD 4k video can require download speeds up to 25 Mbps.
The upgrades will be handled by Viasat, a global satellite provider, which is receiving $13.9 million over 10 years to offer service to 18,795 remote and rural homes and businesses in 47 counties in California, at speeds of at least 25/3 Mbps. In return for this funding, Viasat will be providing service in the supported areas at lower cost to consumers, while also permitting higher usage allowances, than it typically provides in areas where it is not receiving Connect America Fund support.
Viasat is just one of the broadband providers that bid on $89.2 million in contracts over the next 10 years expand to broadband to more than 123,000 unserved rural homes and small businesses across 21 states.
“Across the nation, we’re continuing to close the digital divide so that all Americans—no matter where they live—have access to affordable broadband connectivity and the digital opportunity it brings,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “And as this eighth round of funding demonstrates, the Connect America Fund Phase II Auction is doing so in a cost-effective way: Because providers competed for Connect America Fund Auction support, finite universal service dollars reached many more homes and businesses at a much lower cost.”
In total, the Connect America Fund Auction last year allocated The FCC has now authorized eight waves of funding, and last month’s action brings total authorized funding to nearly $1.5 billion, which is expanding connectivity to 541,733 homes and businesses nationwide. Funding rounds will continue until the authorization process is complete. Providers must build out to 40% of the assigned homes and businesses in the areas won in a state within three years. Buildout must increase by 20% in each subsequent year, until complete buildout is reached at the end of the sixth year. The Connect America Fund Phase II Auction is part of a broader effort by the FCC to close the digital divide in rural America. On Aug. 1, the FCC proposed taking its biggest single step to date toward closing the rural digital divide by establishing the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which would direct up to $20.4 billion to expand broadband in unserved rural areas.