FCC Seeks Comment on Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Petitions for Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) seeks comment on several petitions for designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) for the purpose of becoming eligible to receive universal service support. The petitioners are winning bidders in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction (Auction 904). ETC designation is a prerequisite to receiving universal service support available through the high-cost and Lifeline programs. Recipients of high-cost support, including recipients of RDOF support awarded pursuant to Auction 904, must offer the Lifeline discount on all qualifying services in areas where an ETC receives high-cost support, deploy a network capable of delivering service that meets the Lifeline program’s minimum service standards, and commercially offer such service pursuant to the ETC’s high-cost obligations. To the extent that a petition specifically includes areas outside of RDOF-eligible census blocks, the Bureau will treat the petition as a request for Lifeline-only designation in those areas (although the petitioner will be obligated to provide Lifeline services throughout its entire designation area). All FCC ETC designations of RDOF support recipients will be conditioned upon successful completion of the RDOF long-form application (FCC Form 683).