PUC urges Federal Communications Commission to prioritize unserved areas in broadband access expansion efforts

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the newly proposed Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RUDOF) to prioritize unserved areas in Pennsylvania in efforts to expand broadband access.

The PUC also urged concerned residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the RUDOF.

In response to the RUDOF proceeding, the PUC, the state’s Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) and the Office of Small Business Advocate (OSBA) recently filed joint comments at the FCC. The comments discussed Pennsylvania’s efforts to increase high speed internet service access in underserved areas in the Commonwealth and raised concerns related to ensuring the federal funding process gives initial priority to unserved communities.

The comments noted that, in Pennsylvania, at least 29,739 residential or business locations do not have, or are not on schedule to receive, broadband access service at a download speed of at least 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speed of 1 Mbps (10/1).

These locations include areas in which incumbent carriers in Pennsylvania previously declined support in some of these areas, which triggered a federal auction in which some locations received no bids to provide service.

The governing parties recommended that locations without at least 10/1 Mbps service receive priority in the first of two auctions that the FCC proposes to conduct.

The FCC has proposed upgrading locations that have access to 10/1 Mbps broadband today to the higher speed of 25/3 Mbps before supporting locations that currently lack 10/1 Mbps broadband. The PUC noted that this approach could “exacerbate the digital divide in rural areas.”

As proposed, the RUDOF would make up to $20.4 billion in federal universal service support available throughout the United States over 10 years using a reverse auction. The auction would provide support to bidders who agree to provide voice and broadband service at a minimum of 25/3 Mbps to approximately four million rural homes and small businesses.