The FCC on Tuesday revealed names of the winning bidders of its Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF-II) auction, which concluded last week and will dole out $1.488 billion to internet service providers to expand fixed internet coverage in rural areas.
The winners span a variety of different service provider types, with satellite providers, electric cooperatives and WISPs filling out those receiving the most support in auction funds.
AMG Technology Investment Group is receiving $281.28 million to help provide coverage at 100,661 locations across six states and fixed wireless internet provider Wisper ISP scooped up $220.3 million to extend broadband to 80,149 locations across six states. The Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium won $186 million in support, covering 66,322 locations spanning eight states, while satellite internet provider Viastat received $122.49 million to help reach 190,595 locations over 20 states.
Jump to the bottom to see the full list of winners.
Overall 713,176 new locations will gain access to high-speed internet and auction winners must meet certain speed thresholds and buildout timeframe requirements.
Specifically, 53 percent of homes and businesses covered by support of the auction will have available download speeds of at least 100 Mbps, while 19 percent will have 1 Gbps service available. And 711,389 locations – all but 0.25 percent – will have at least 25 Mbps service available, according to the FCC.
Rules of the auction require providers to build out service to 40 percent of their assigned home and businesses in a state within three years, and that must increase by 20 percent each year after that, with 100 percent completion by the end of the sixth year.
“The successful conclusion of this first-of-its kind auction is great news for the residents of these rural communities, who will finally be able to share in the 21st-century digital opportunities that broadband provides,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a statement. “By tapping the mechanisms of the marketplace, the Phase II auction served as the most appropriate and cost-effective way to allocate funding for broadband in these unserved communities, bringing the highest-quality broadband services to the most consumers at the lowest cost to the ratepayer.”
Verizon also will receive CAF-II support, with $9.47 million to cover 3,361 locations in seven states.
WINNING BIDDERS
|
Bidder |
Total Assigned Support |
Locations |
States |
|
3E8 Broadband Solutions, LLC |
$3,621,847 |
811 |
1 |
|
Air Link Rural Broadband, LLC |
$11,371,438 |
2,321 |
1 |
|
Allen’s T.V. Cable Service, Inc. |
$1,776,733 |
794 |
1 |
|
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
$281,283,794 |
100,661 |
6 |
|
ArisWave Consortium |
$12,298,811 |
7,680 |
5 |
|
Armstrong Telephone Company – Northern Division |
$2,642,413 |
1,949 |
1 |
|
Barry Electric Cooperative |
$6,103,454 |
2,308 |
1 |
|
BEK Communications Cooperative |
$1,182,155 |
534 |
1 |
|
Ben Lomand Communications, LLC |
$333,797 |
171 |
1 |
|
Benton Ridge Telephone Company |
$52,371,819 |
23,957 |
3 |
|
Bloosurf, LLC |
$5,468,497 |
5,091 |
2 |
|
Broadband Corp |
$428,117 |
128 |
1 |
|
Bruce Telephone Company, Inc. |
$177,933 |
34 |
1 |
|
Cal.net, Inc. |
$50,516,652 |
20,859 |
1 |
|
California Internet, L.P. |
$87,832,403 |
11,845 |
2 |
|
Casey Mutual Telephone Company |
$244,923 |
107 |
1 |
|
Chariton Valley Communications Corporation |
$4,179,666 |
847 |
1 |
|
Cincinnati Bell Inc. |
$1,098,830 |
342 |
2 |
|
Citynet LLC |
$6,517,708 |
898 |
1 |
|
ClearSKY Systems, Inc. |
$127,414 |
207 |
1 |
|
Commnet Wireless, LLC |
$79,941,691 |
31,824 |
6 |
|
Computer 5 Inc. d/b/a LocalTel Communications |
$6,847,092 |
1,910 |
1 |
|
Consolidated Telephone Company |
$934,934 |
358 |
1 |
|
Consortium 903 |
$5,357,649 |
13,657 |
1 |
|
Crocker Communications, Inc. |
$1,193,077 |
404 |
1 |
|
Crystal Automation Systems, Inc. |
$27,299,087 |
17,610 |
1 |
|
Declaration Networks Group, Inc |
$6,784,141 |
5,383 |
2 |
|
Echo Wireless Broadband, Inc. |
$5,475,911 |
1,717 |
2 |
|
Farmers Mutual Telephone Company |
$348,992 |
163 |
1 |
|
Federated Telephone Cooperative |
$1,431,039 |
808 |
1 |
|
Fidelity Communications Company |
$72,827 |
19 |
2 |
|
Fond du Lac Reservation Business Committee |
$55,011 |
13 |
1 |
|
Frontier Communications Corporation |
$51,553 |
23 |
1 |
|
Garden Valley Telephone Company |
$880,346 |
95 |
1 |
|
Gila Local Exchange Carrier, Inc. |
$104,499 |
29 |
1 |
|
Halstad Telephone Company |
$19,635 |
7 |
1 |
|
Hankins Information Technology |
$1,911,329 |
1,083 |
1 |
|
Hanson Communications, Inc. |
$205,818 |
35 |
1 |
|
Hardy Telecommunications, Inc |
$47,435 |
7 |
1 |
|
Hawaiian Telcom, Inc. |
$18,160,638 |
3,936 |
1 |
|
Hilliary Communications Consortium |
$3,992,041 |
1,335 |
2 |
|
HolstonConnect, LLC |
$535,417 |
517 |
1 |
|
Horry Telephone Cooperative, Inc. |
$233,490 |
80 |
1 |
|
IdeaTek Telcom, LLC |
$6,186,882 |
2,490 |
1 |
|
Illinois Electric Cooperative |
$2,276,419 |
804 |
1 |
|
Independent Networks, Inc. |
$288,834 |
123 |
1 |
|
Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. |
$552,330 |
209 |
1 |
|
Inventive Wireless of Nebraska, LLC |
$5,240,646 |
1,692 |
3 |
|
Jaguar Communication, Inc |
$510,588 |
672 |
1 |
|
JCWIFI.com LLC |
$486,424 |
175 |
1 |
|
Johnson Telephone Company |
$81,273 |
47 |
1 |
|
Lake Region Technology & Communications, LLC |
$4,024,501 |
2,247 |
1 |
|
LTD Broadband LLC |
$1,264,673 |
1,407 |
5 |
|
Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative |
$2,262,039 |
1,107 |
1 |
|
Mark Twain Communications Company |
$3,053,366 |
676 |
1 |
|
Mercury Wireless |
$4,610,330 |
11,092 |
5 |
|
Meriwether Lewis Connect LLC |
$1,183,627 |
290 |
1 |
|
MGW Networks, LLC |
$417,807 |
238 |
1 |
|
Midcontinent Communications |
$38,902,342 |
9,371 |
3 |
|
Mid-States Services, LLC |
$1,868,060 |
358 |
1 |
|
Mountain West Technologies Corporation |
$2,658,057 |
550 |
1 |
|
Mutual Telephone Company of Sioux Center, Iowa |
$627,920 |
191 |
1 |
|
NBVDS Investment, L.L.C. |
$2,776,942 |
667 |
1 |
|
NE Colorado Cellular, Inc. |
$3,097,732 |
807 |
3 |
|
Newmax, LLC dba Intermax Networks |
$11,556,872 |
7,952 |
2 |
|
Northern Arapaho Tribal Industries |
$4,070,664 |
849 |
1 |
|
Orange County REMC |
$10,200,496 |
4,046 |
1 |
|
Otelco, Inc. |
$921,505 |
772 |
1 |
|
Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative |
$1,313,543 |
315 |
1 |
|
PC Telcorp, Inc. |
$387,303 |
33 |
1 |
|
Perry-Spencer Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. |
$1,182,426 |
359 |
1 |
|
Pine Cellular Phones, Inc. |
$4,695,551 |
1,979 |
1 |
|
Plains internet, LLC |
$6,153,040 |
4,642 |
3 |
|
Red Spectrum Communications LLC |
$521,715 |
185 |
1 |
|
Redwire, Inc. |
$4,766,846 |
8,041 |
1 |
|
Roseau Electric Cooperative, Inc. |
$2,081,770 |
326 |
1 |
|
RTC Communications Corp |
$1,326,394 |
1,203 |
1 |
|
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
$186,022,490 |
66,322 |
8 |
|
Shawnee Communications, Inc. |
$1,714,708 |
567 |
1 |
|
Sunset Digital Communications, Inc. |
$29,575,007 |
9,093 |
2 |
|
SW DinehNet LLC |
$2,038,738 |
869 |
1 |
|
SyncWave, LLC |
$24,844 |
21 |
1 |
|
Tombigbee Communications, LLC |
$1,691,879 |
279 |
1 |
|
Total Highspeed LLC |
$640,560 |
386 |
1 |
|
Townes Wireless, Inc. |
$190,098 |
20 |
1 |
|
Tri County Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. |
$32,326,228 |
7,015 |
1 |
|
Tri County Telephone Association, Inc. |
$7,017,178 |
3,186 |
2 |
|
Tri-County Electric Cooperative |
$117,784 |
106 |
1 |
|
Twin Valley Communications, Inc |
$45,610 |
9 |
1 |
|
Union Telephone Company |
$5,437,562 |
1,468 |
1 |
|
Valley Communications Association, LLC |
$404,754 |
153 |
1 |
|
Velocity.Net Communications, Inc. |
$230,016 |
39 |
1 |
|
Verizon Communications Inc. |
$9,476,934 |
3,361 |
7 |
|
Viasat, Inc. |
$122,499,877 |
190,595 |
20 |
|
Wabash Independent Networks, Inc. |
$669,462 |
359 |
1 |
|
West Central Telephone Association |
$611,934 |
532 |
1 |
|
Westfield Gas & Electric Light Department |
$10,325,401 |
5,163 |
1 |
|
Wikstrom Telephone Company |
$532,557 |
56 |
1 |
|
Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation |
$32,820,017 |
13,886 |
2 |
|
Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association |
$179,957 |
101 |
1 |
|
Wisper ISP, Inc |
$220,319,375 |
80,149 |
6 |
|
Wood County Telephone Company d/b/a Solarus |
$81,920 |
15 |
1 |
|
WPS |
$324,009 |
954 |
1 |
|
Total |
$1,488,329,864 |
713,176 |
