The FCC has released an interactive map that shows the locations of 660,000 homes and businesses that are eligible targets to get broadband access through its Connect America Fund (CAF).
Service providers in 44 states and Puerto Rico requested over $385 million from round two of CAF Phase 1 funding, which they will match with their own investment, to expand broadband network services into rural communities they could not previously build a business case to serve before.
Among the features of the map are the ability to zoom in on locations down to the census block level and zoom out for a big-picture view of the major broadband expansion at the country, state and national levels.
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The FCC's new interactive broadband map. |
Due to the changes on how the money could be spent, a number of major telcos, including CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL), FairPoint (Nasdaq: FRP), Frontier (Nasdaq: FTR), and Windstream (Nasdaq: WIN) accepted more funding during the second round.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in round two of the CAF Phase I program came from AT&T (NYSE: T). After initially turning down funding last year, the telco accepted the largest amount of $100 million, while its fellow RBOC Verizon (NYSE: VZ) once again turned down the funding.
For more:
- see the release
- here's the map
Related articles:
CenturyLink takes $54M in CAF funds to expand rural broadband reach
FairPoint accepts $3.3M in CAF I rural broadband funding
Windstream accepts $60.4M in CAF I funds for rural broadband extension
Frontier applies for $71.5M in CAF Phase I rural broadband funding
AT&T accepts $100M from FCC's Connect America Fund to expand rural broadband