The Federal Communications Commission today announced that an estimated 675,000 rural Americans living and working in Texas will gain access to high-speed broadband through the Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction, according to auction results released today.
In Texas, the auction allocated $362,662,934.10 in support to expand broadband to 310,962 unserved homes and businesses over the next 10 years. Nearly all locations in Texas that were eligible for the auction will be receiving access to broadband with gigabit-speed broadband. The auction unleashed robust price competition that resulted in more locations being awarded at less cost to Americans who pay into the Universal Service Fund.
“This historic auction is great news for the residents of so many rural Texas communities, who will get access to high-quality broadband service in areas that for too long have been on the wrong side of the digital divide,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “We structured this innovative and groundbreaking auction to prioritize bids for high-speed, low-latency services to deliver the best results for rural Americans, and the results show that this strategy worked. This auction was the Commission’s single largest step ever taken toward delivering digital opportunity to every American and is another key success in our ongoing commitment to universal service.”
Following is a list of winning bidders, number of homes and businesses to be served, and total support for 10 years in Texas, in Orange County:
