New York Officials Press FCC to Make CAF II Funds Available for State Auction

waiver that would allow it to tap federal CAF II support, declined by Verizon in New York, to help fund the state's own reverse auction of broadband subsidies for the same areas targeted by the FCC auction (see 1610130047). That "would align the federal and state broadband funding processes in New York, which would ensure the rapid deployment of broadband services in many unserved communities," said an ESD filing posted Wednesday in FCC docket 10-90 on a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. "Many of the affected New York communities are in low-income and tribal areas that would not receive broadband services for some time absent the waiver." The ESD officials made similar arguments to an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. "Conducting two auctions in the same territories would raise a host of challenges, including potential funding of duplicative broadband networks and disparate federal-state funding requirements," said another filing. "Grant of the Petition would resolve these challenges through a simple process by which carriers in New York receive funding from the Connect America Fund in coordination with the State’s broadband program." In comments this week in the docket, ViaSat and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association opposed the ESD petition; Verizon and numerous smaller telcos supported it; and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission asked the federal commission to expand any waiver relief to Pennsylvania and other states that have state broadband deployment programs.