Today's Regulatory Mix:  USDA Announces Additional Broadband Funding, FCC Releases New and Updated Data for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

USDA Announces Additional Broadband Funding

The USDA announced new Reconnect broadband funding in five states.

In Iowa:

• Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company of Moulton, Iowa will use a $4.9 million ReConnect grant and a $4.9 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 3,085 people, 228 farms, 50 businesses and two healthcare facilities to high-speed broadband internet in Appanoose and Davis counties in Iowa. 
• Farmers Mutual Telephone Company of Stanton, Iowa will use a $2.3 million ReConnect grant and a $2.3 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network which will connect 954 people, 115 farms and eight businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Taylor and Page counties in Iowa.
• Harmony Telephone Company will use a $4.8 million ReConnect grant and a $4.8 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 1,579 people, 96 farms and 31 businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Howard and Chickasaw counties in Iowa.

In Michigan: 

• Allband Multimedia LLC will use a $3.5 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fixed wireless network to connect 3,678 people, 64 farms, 54 businesses, four educational facilities and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Alpena, Alcona and Iosco counties in Michigan.
• Southwest Michigan Communications Inc. will use a $3.3 million ReConnect grant and a $3.3 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 3,203 people, 40 farms and 27 businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Van Buren, Kalamazoo and Allegan counties in Michigan.

In Minnesota: Consolidated Telephone Company will use a $3 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 819 people, 34 businesses and 25 farms to high-speed broadband internet in Morrison County, Minnesota.

In Missouri,

• The Stoutland Telephone Company, doing business as (DBA) Missouricom, will use a $4.6 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which connect 2,390 people, 78 farms and 12 businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Dallas, Camden and Laclede counties in Missouri.
• Marshall Municipal Utilities will use a $7.5 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 3,890 people, 433 farms, 63 businesses, two public schools, a fire station and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Saline County, Missouri.
• Steelville Telephone Exchange, DBA STE Communications, will use a $14.8 million ReConnect grant and a $14.8 million ReConnect loan. As a result, STE Communications will deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 4,756 people, 314 farms, 55 businesses, two fire stations and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Iron, Dent, Crawford and Washington counties in Missouri.
• Total Highspeed LLC was awarded a $24.9 million ReConnect grant and a $24.9 million ReConnect loan. These funds will provide a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 26,077 people, 720 farms, 417 businesses, nine fire stations and five public schools to high-speed broadband internet in Christian, Greene, Lawrence, Stone and Webster counties in Missouri.

In New Mexico:

• SWC Telesolutions Inc. will use a $6.1 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the- premises network to connect 1,630 people, 31 businesses, nine farms, five fire stations and two post offices to high-speed broadband internet in Sierra County, New Mexico.
• Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative Inc. will use a $4.5 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 170 people, 29 farms and five businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Eddy, Chaves and Lea counties in New Mexico.
• Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative Inc. will use a $8.1 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,173 people, seven farms, six businesses, three fire stations and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Chaves, Lincoln, Eddy and Otero counties in New Mexico.
• Continental Divide Electric Cooperative Inc. will use a $1.1 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 85 people, four farms and a business to high-speed broadband internet in Cibola County, New Mexico.

FCC Releases New and Updated Data for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau  and the Office of Economics and Analytics, in coordination with the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force, announced  the availability of a file listing all of the Census Block Groups, including the identifier that will be used in the bidding system, that will be included in Auction 904.  The data is not new, but this particular format may be useful for bidders as they prepare for the auction. The file is listed as “Items file (csv)” in the Education section of the Auction 904 website at www.fcc.gov/auction/904.

They also announced that they had reprocessed the geographic information system (GIS) files that accompanied the final list and map of areas eligible for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction.  The reprocessing corrected a display issue regarding a small subset of Census blocks that were split by Tribal land boundaries. The reprocessed data is available on the Auction 904 website.  No changes were made to the block-level data, including the location counts and reserve prices.

Recent Briefings from Inteserra

FCC Announces Launch Of National Verifier In Partnership With Oregon and Texas State Agencies

FCC Releases Final List Of Census Blocks Eligible For Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

FCC To Move Access Charges For 8YY Calls To Bill-And-Keep

Nevada Increases USF Assessment

Washington Governor Extends Prohibition on Residential Disconnections During COVID-19

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.