RDOF Coalition Seeks FCC Action on Program Rules

A coalition of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) winners urged the FCC to grant a limited waiver of the program's rules concerning a letter of credit and relinquish census block groups in areas that have been or will be overbuilt by federal-funded broadband deployment projects. The coalition said in a meeting with Wireline Bureau staff that waiving the letter of credit rule to one year of support was needed because "unforeseeable cost increases place significant strains on RDOF winners to contribute huge amounts of additional funds for RDOF broadband deployments." The group also urged the commission to "promptly address" potential overbuilding "through its deconfliction process and allow RDOF funding recipients to return such areas ... without financial penalties."