Unclaimed Millions in Rural BB

The FCC has $185 Million unclaimed for Rural Broadband.

News sources are reporting that the FCC Phase I of the Connect America Fund (CAF), which offered $300M to select ‘price-cap’ carriers for rural broadband construction, has problems. "..only $115 million of the $300 million was claimed by companies like Frontier, FairPoint, CenturyLink, Windstream, and a few others....As we’ve previously reported, Verizon and AT&T rejected the funding. Both CenturyLink and Windstream are asking for some waivers regarding some of the rules for Phase I, which may lead to them accepting additional funding. But as of right now, $185 million has been left on the table. So where should it go?"

The CAF funding pitted WISPA against C-Link. The carriers are complaining about getting "just $775" per home. It's that very mentality that makes me vote for Eminent Domain on their copper networks.

Phase II is suppoed to be $1.8 billion for rural broadband, but I have no idea where that money is coming from, unless it is USF funds.

Of course, the two rural carrier associations are screaming over this, the left over money, the future money, the USF reform and everything. It's funny because for all the talk from my GOP friends, this industry gets a lot of government hand-outs and want to have their models propped up forever.