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RDOF Short-Form Application to Ask WISPs, Satellite for More Details

Wireless ISPs and low earth orbit satellite providers participating in the upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund phase I auctions must prepare more detailed responses for their short-form applications after the FCC added new questions for those bidding in the gigabit…

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performance tier, said a public notice released Thursday on auction procedures. The FCC emphasized "the level of detail we expect to see in responses from service providers proposing to bid in the Gigabit performance tier" and clarified applicants should include information on upstream speeds. The agency will provide examples of information it seeks on "base station configurations and channel bandwidths, as well as traffic and propagation assumptions." It wants satellite providers to describe how their proposed networks will deliver the proposed performance tier and latency requirements "to all planned locations in a mass-market consumer service." Commissioners approved the item Tuesday (see 2006090031). Stakeholders disagree which tiers spectrum-based broadband providers should participate in (see 2006020036). “The Wireless ISP Association is "generally pleased" the PN "places no restrictions against any fixed wireless providers being able to apply to bid in the Gigabit performance tier," a spokesperson emailed. NTCA Senior Vice President-Industry Affairs and Business Development Mike Romano tweeted his support of added FCC scrutiny.