The Federal Communications Commission moved forward with its controversial Mobility Fund, announcing the release of a public notice with the procedures for “phase one” of the reverse auction for universal service fund support. The fund is expected to provide up to $300 million in funding to support the roll out of mobile broadband services to underserved areas. Those funds will come from recent reforms to the USF.
The FCC noted that winning bidders must deploy either 3G-based services within two years of receiving funding or three years for “4G”-based services. The auction will have bidders submit sealed offers for the amount of financial support they will need to meet coverage and performance criteria. Winners will be selected by the lowest bid and limited to one provider per coverage area.
“Mobile broadband has become essential to creating jobs and expanding economic opportunity and has unleashed new innovation in education, health and public safety,” the FCC noted in a statement. “As part of last year’s reform and modernization of USF, the commission for the first time made universal mobile service an express universal service goal, and created the Mobility Fund to help close the nation’s gaps in mobile wireless service.”
Submissions to participate in the auction will be accepted between June 27 and July 11, with the auction scheduled for Sept. 27.
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