THE REGULATORY MIX AND BLOG ARTICLES

Today's Regulatory Mix:   FCC Announces Phase I Rural Auction Winners,  FCC Submits Report on Status of Reassigned Number Database

FCC Announces Phase I Rural Auction Winners

The FCC has announced the winning bidders for Phase 1 of its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction.  The FCC stated that millions of rural Americans in 49 states and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will gain access to high-speed Internet service through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction.

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,

Today's Regulatory Mix: FCC Announces Qualified Bidders for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction,  USDA Announces Broadband Grants In Iowa, Alaska, and Illinois

FCC Announces Qualified Bidders for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

The FCC announced that 386 applicants are qualified to bid in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction.  The number of qualified bidders represents a more than 75% increase in the number of bidders in 2018’s Connect America Fund Phase II auction and also includes bidding consortia that contain multiple service providers.

Today's Regulatory Mix: US Congress Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act, FCC Releases Updated List of Eligible Areas for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

US Congress Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act

US Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced they introduced the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act, a bill to bolster national security interests and better protect communities across the country by ending the use of “warrant-proof” encrypted technology by terrorists and other bad actors to conceal illicit behavior. 

Today's Regulatory Mix:  USDA Announces $28 Million Broadband Investment in Virginia, FCC Proposes over $200 Million in Fines for Wireless Location Data Violations, FCC Proposes Bidding Procedures for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction, FCC Seeks Comment on Cable Operator Recordkeeping Rules 

USDA Announces $28 Million Broadband Investment in Virginia 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Virginia Beth Green announced USDA has invested $28 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure for more than 17,000 rural households in Virginia.