The Federal Communications Commission will be facilitating a $20.4 billion rural broadband fund that over the next decade will be used to help build out high-speed internet access over the next 10 years.
“We want Americans to be the first to benefit from this new digital revolution while protecting our innovators and our citizens,” said Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC. “We don't want rural Americans to be left behind.”
To distribute those funds, the FCC will create the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which will allow the connection to “up to gigabit-speed” broadband for as many as 4 million homes and small businesses over the next decade.
Separately, the FCC will host an auction of upper 37GHz, 39GHz and 47GHz airwaves in December 2019. It would be the largest auction in U.S. history to boost wireless companies’ networks. The auction is set for Dec. 10 and will be the agency’s third for 5G since November 2018. The auction will sell 3,400 megahertz in three spectrum bands.
In 2018, the FCC estimated more than 24 million people lacked broadband access to their homes.