How the FCC is Bringing Broadband to Rural America

Earlier in 2015, the Federal Communications Commission found that broadband deployment in the United States -- especially in rural areas -- is failing to keep pace with today’s advanced, high-quality voice, data, graphics and video offerings. Over half of all rural Americans lack access to broadband service with 25 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads. Moreover, rural America continues to be underserved at all speeds, the FCC found: 20 percent lack access even to service at 4 Mbps/1 Mbps, down only 1 percent from 2011, and 31 percent lack access to 10 Mbps/1 Mbps, down only 4 percent from 2011.

The FCC’s 2015 Broadband Progress Report pointed to future efforts to bring robust broadband to rural America, noting Phase II of the Connect America Fund which would provide nearly $9 billion to expand broadband to five million Americans living in rural areas within the next five years. [The creation of the Connect America Fund, you may recall, was a key recommendation of the National Broadband Plan.] In April, carriers were offered $1.6 billion in support from the Connect America Fund. August 27, 2015 was the final day for these carriers to decide whether to accept the offer of support from Phase II of the Connect America Fund.