The FCC has adopted a Report and Order establishing the Alaska Connect Fund program to provide ongoing support for both mobile and fixed carriers receiving USF high-cost support in Alaska through 2034 as the original Alaska Plan nears the end of its 10-year funding term. Eligible carriers will receive increased support amounts to reflect the transition to higher speed services goals. The Commission intends to ensure that the to-be-awarded high-cost support complements other federal funding programs.
The Commission also adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on various outstanding issues related to this new Alaska Connect Fund. The FCC seeks comment on its plans, focusing on determining support for overlapping service areas and eliminating duplicative funding. The Commission proposes competitive mechanisms for awarding support, updating deployment strategies for unserved areas with a potential reverse auction, and setting service level expectations with a 5G-NR standard. The FCC also seeks comments on retail consumer conditions, incentives for Open RAN deployment, and Tribal consent. Additionally, the FCC is considering opening participation in the Alaska Connect Fund to any competitive ETC and using weighted criteria to evaluate proposals based on coverage and service levels.
