Lawmakers Circulate Letter Urging More FCC Scrutiny of Future RDOF Applicants
Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and two other lawmakers circulated a letter urging the FCC to “redouble its efforts to review the long-form applications that will now be submitted” for future phases of…
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the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. Three entities won more than $3.6 billion of the $9.2 billion allocated via the RDOF Phase I reverse auction (see 2012070039). “Transparency and accountability must be part and parcel of the administration of any program, and we urge you to thoroughly vet the winning bidders to ensure that they are capable of deploying and delivering the services they committed to providing,” they said in a draft letter to outgoing FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “It is essential that the FCC apply the scrutiny needed to ensure the funding will be used wisely and effectively, consistent with the goals of the” USF High-Cost Program. “Validate that each provider in fact has the technical, financial, managerial, operational skills, capabilities, and resources to deliver the services that they have pledged for every American they plan to serve regardless of the technology they use,” they said. “Make as public as possible the status of its review and consider opportunities for public input on the applications.” The others circulating the letter are Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich. At least 23 other senators and 55 House members signed on, said the Fiber Broadband Association.