Fiber Gigabit-Capable Broadband Service Coming to Rural Tx & Ar
Here s some great news if you live in the more rural areas surrounding Texarkana, Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative, through a wholly-owned fiber subsidiary, has secured more than $53 million through the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to deliver gigabit-capable broadband service. The fiber entity will offer service throughout the rural Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas communities served by Southwest Arkansas Electric, along with designated rural communities in Louisiana.
According to the press release, the cooperative’s fiber entity intends to launch a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network to serve 100% of the 26,000-plus homes and businesses in its 11-county service territory. The RDOF funding will enable it to launch and deploy the gigabit-speed network to its members in a timely and cost-effective manner, allowing them to realize the economic, educational and community benefits
Press release content from Globe Newswire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation.
Rural Broadband Auction Results Raise Concerns About Execution, Financial Risk
CoBankJanuary 25, 2021 GMT
DENVER, Jan. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) The results of the first round of the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction left many industry participants questioning how the commission decided to allocate the funds. Among the concerns raised was the FCC’s decision to award $885.5 million to SpaceX for its unproven Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite business.
Additionally, some Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) received a significant amount of government support that appears to be much larger than anything they have experience deploying. Naturally, this raises questions about their ability to execute on that scale and to secure the necessary letters of credit.
Gigabit Internet is Coming to Rural Missouri and Kansas
Gigabit Internet is Coming to Rural Missouri and Kansas
Federal Bucks to Boost Broadband Share this story Published January 6th, 2021 at 6:00 AM Above image credit: A fiber optic cable used to provide broadband internet service. (Jens B ttner | AP Images)
If basic broadband is a run-of-the-mill sedan, gigabit internet is a sports car.
Hundreds of thousands of Missourians and Kansans could be revving up their internet speeds in coming years thanks to the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF).
The FCC recently selected 180 winning bidders to receive $9.2 billion in funding to provide increased internet access to 5.2 million unserved homes and businesses in 49 states and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The new service, expected to be deployed over the next six years, includes 199,221 locations in Missouri and 46
Last week Commissioner Brandon Presley announced that Mississippi has been awarded more than $495 million in the first round of the Federal Communications Commissionâs Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). This funding is estimated to bring world-class, high-speed internet service to approximately 219,000 locations across Mississippi.
âTodayâs awarding of $495 million is a direct result of all of us as Mississippians making broadband access a top public priority,â said Commissioner Presley. âRural communities and small towns deserve the same high-speed internet service as exists in big cities.â
Some broadband providers bid as part of RDOF as part of a consortium. Individual winners will come later as the Public Service Commission processes applications for each winning provider. Each winner must be approved by the Commission.