Tom Cohen Quoted in Communications Daily Article on Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Order
Partner Tom Cohen was quoted in the Communications Daily article “ISPs Back Jan. 30 RDOF Vote, Phase I Auctions in 2020.” The article discusses broadband interests who backed a draft order on the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund up for a vote at the Jan. 30 FCC meeting. Commissioners are expected to approve the rulemaking this month. The fund would send upward of $20 billion to help deploy rural broadband through reverse auctions from bidding ISPs in two phases. The first, which could be held by year’s end, would target areas unserved by at least 25/3 Mbps. Commissioners voted on an NPRM for docket 19-126 in August.
“There’s every reason to have a unanimous vote, an auction this year, and then funding flow next year,” said Tom, counsel for America’s Communications Association. “Everybody should be in favor of moving this forward.” Cohen said ACA wanted items that didn’t end up in the draft, such as bidding by census blocks rather than larger census block groups, and a different weighting score for the auction, “but you have to look at it as a whole.” He said ACA is “all in favor” of moving ahead promptly.