Partner Tom Cohen was quoted in the Telecompetitor article “Is the $20 Billion RDOF Budget Big Enough? Expert Panel Says Yes, Though Some May Disagree”. The article discusses the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) $20 billion budget for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, and whether it is enough to meet rural broadband deployment goals. All three experts on a webinar presented by the Fiber Broadband Association today not only said yes — they said the RDOF budget, in combination with state funding and private investment, would be sufficient to meet deployment goals using fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technology.

Tom noted a potential new source of funding for rural broadband projects, saying “there are a bunch of infrastructure funds that have cropped up [that are] not looking at a five- or six-year payback. They’re looking at the total life cycle” and are “willing to be more patient with their capital.”

The people responsible for these funds “understand that we’ve gone beyond the tipping point” in terms of consumer demand for fiber, Cohen said.

Cohen also noted that Congress is considering legislation proposed by New Jersey Representative Frank Pallone that would make an additional $40 billion available for broadband deployments. The full name of the bill is Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America Act, or LIFT Act for short.

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Tom Cohen Quoted in Telecompetitor Article on Broadband Funding