FCC Releases NPRM for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

The FCC issued an NPRM for its $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and posted it Friday in docket 19-126 (see 1907110031). Comments are due to the Wireline Bureau 30 days after publication in the Federal Register and replies 30 days later. Incompas CEO Chip Pickering on Monday commended FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for moving the rulemaking forward. "We were the first organization to call for USF funding to be tied to 1 Gigabit speed," he said, adding speeds of 25 Mbps downstream, 3 up, are "antiquated, out of date and insufficient." In its proposed reverse auction for bidders who want to participate in the RDOF USF program, the agency seeks comments on how much weight a broadband service's speed and latency should be given in a bid (see 1907230061). Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel also supports aiming high on performance measures for the RDOF program. In comments at the FCC meeting Thursday, she said the NPRM takes today's performance standards and assumes they make sense "10 years hence." She said the FCC should "think bigger and bolder." Mintz communications attorney Angela Kung issued a report on the RDOF program Monday.