FCC: Rural Broadband Test Has Many Takers

The FCC's call for experiments in rural broadband has drawn interest from 181 applicants for almost 600 projects worth nearly $885 million.

The FCC actually is only giving out $100 million for those experiments from its Connect America Fund (part of its migration of Universal Service Fund subsidies from phone to broadband).

So, that means the staff will have to pick winners, which it says it will be doing over the coming weeks. They will be only provisional winners, who then will have to demonstrate they have the finances—beyond what the FCC will give them—and ability to conduct the tests.

For the full story go to Multichannel.com.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.