On October 8, 2020, the Wireline Competition Bureau (“Bureau”) and the Office of Economics and Analytics (“OEA”) in coordination with the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force, released a Public Notice announcing the final list of census blocks and a map of areas that are eligible for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction (“Auction 904”), available at https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904. These census block groups will be available for bidding in Auction 904, which will begin on October 29, 2020.
The following changes have been made from previously released lists and maps in order to finalize the eligible areas for Auction 904:
- The Bureau/OEA removes certain census blocks and portions of blocks that were awarded ReConnect Round 2 grants as identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service (“RUS”).
- The Bureau/OEA made three corrections to challenges by FCC Form 477 filers (Savage Communications, Cox Communications, and DigitalPath).
- The census blocks within the boundaries of two rate-of-return incumbent study areas have also been removed from the final list of eligible areas as companies serving these areas currently receive federal high-cost support.
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