The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau is reminding participants in the upcoming Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF Phase II) auction (Auction 903) about the requirement for winning bidders to obtain designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) in all areas where CAF Phase II support is won within 180 days of the Auction 903 winning bid announcement. Carriers subject to state jurisdiction for ETC designation must petition state commissions, whereas carriers where a state lacks such jurisdiction should petition the FCC itself for ETC designation. The FCC specifies that winning bidders needing ETC designation must wait until after the release of the Auction 903 closing public notice to file petitions, but should do so within 30 days of that public notice to meet the 180-day designation deadline (or qualify for waiver of the deadline). Additionally, the FCC reminds auction participants of the various service and public interest requirements for ETC designation, as well as post-designation reporting obligations.
