Following a limited challenge process, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau and the Office of Economics and Analytics in coordination with the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force (Bureaus) have updated the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) area eligibility map and files. The FCC bureaus denied a number of challenges, including by Frontier claiming it provided 25/3 Mbps broadband service for almost 17,000 census blocks. The FCC also denied other challenges by FDF Communications, Arrowhead Electric Cooperation, Inland Telephone Company, Northwest Fiber, Edge Broadband, Mobius Communications Company, and LakeNet LLC. One request was granted to Charter for areas in New York. According to the FCC, the final list of eligible areas will be released no later than three weeks prior to the October 29, 2020 start date for bidding. The window for short-form application opens July 1 and closes July 15, 2020 at 6pm Eastern Time.
