Connect America Fund


 

The SHLB Coalition has participated actively in the FCC proceeding to reform the High-Cost program and create the new Connect America Fund (CAF). These high-cost funds provide financial support for telecom and broadband networks in high cost, largely rural areas where broadband is not available because there is no private sector business case to build broadband facilities.

The SHLB Coalition supported the shift in focus to broadband networks, and the Coalition sought to ensure that community anchor institutions would receive high-capacity broadband service in these areas. The Coalition was successful in convincing the FCC to require recipients of CAF funding to serve anchor institutions, and we also succeeded in persuading the FCC to give anchor institutions an opportunity to participate in the network planning and design phase as these broadband networks are deployed.

The FCC asked for an additional round of comment in 2014, and the SHLB Coalition joined with the State E-rate Coordinators Association (SECA) in filing comments calling for recipients of CAF funding to be presumptively required to provide the Community Anchor Institutions with a fiber optic wireline connection, unless the CAI grants a waiver. An FCC decision on this matter is expected in the spring of 2015.


SHLB Documents on Connect America Fund Reform

August 8, 2014 Joint SHLB-SECA Comments
June 3, 2014 SHLB Ex Parte Connect America Fund Rural Broadband Experiments Letter
January 23, 2014 SHLB Ex Parte Connect America Fund Letter
July 15, 2013 SHLB Response to Wireline Competition Bureau's CAF Cost Model Virtual Workshop
February 17, 2012 SHLB Connect America Fund Further Inquiry Reply Comments
October 20, 2011 SHLB Ex Parte Additional Clarification Comments
September 28, 2011 SHLB Ex Parte Comments to Use Connect Aamerica Funds to Support Broadband Services
August 24, 2011 SHLB Connect America Fund Further Inquiry Comments
July 25, 2011 SHLB Ex Parte Meeting with Wireline Competition Bureau Staff
June 7, 2011 Why CAIs in Rural Areas Should be Included in USF Reform
May 13, 2011 SHLB Ex Parte Meeting with Wireline Competition Bureau Staff
April 18, 2011 SHLB Connect America Fund Final Comments
July 12, 2010 SHLB Connect America Fund Initial Comments