RDOF Coalition Petitions FCC for Supplemental Funding

A coalition of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction winners asked the FCC this week to grant RDOF winners supplemental funding and relief from letter of credit requirements. "Due to the impacts of [COVID-19] along with new, multi-billion dollar federal fiscal policies and pandemic-prompted broadband deployment funding programs, construction costs have skyrocketed," said a petition posted Thursday in docket 19-126 (see 2306210066). The coalition also asked the FCC to consider "providing a short amnesty period that allows RDOF winners to relinquish all or part of their RDOF winning areas without forfeitures or other penalties."