Frontier Backs Down Slightly on Challenges to RDOF Eligible Areas

Frontier told the Federal Communications Commission it would “welcome the inclusion” of the census blocks where it claims to newly offer broadband service into the upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). Seeking to “clarify” its position, Frontier indicated that it would not fight to exclude the 17,000 census blocks in question despite maintaining that it does offer 25/3 Mbps speeds in those areas. The company followed up with a longer filing that responded to comments filed by ILSR and others and asserted that its claimed broadband speeds are correct. Frontier says most of the census blocks currently in question had available speeds of just 25/2 Mbps prior to December 2019. However, Frontier fails to explain why it’s now claiming that those areas now have access to 25/3 Mbps or why it reported sub-broadband speeds in the first place. With no reason provided for these changes, it seems like Frontier could be intentionally dancing around the definition of broadband to land on speeds that are convenient for the company if not always an accurate representation of reality.