The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) regarding the Alaska Connect Fund (ACF), focusing on mobile service support from 2030 to 2034. The proposal seeks to address areas in Alaska where multiple mobile providers currently receive overlapping support, aiming to streamline funding to a single provider in these duplicate-support areas.
The FCC is considering methodologies to determine support amounts and competitive mechanisms to allocate funds effectively, ensuring only one provider receives support in overlapping areas. Thus, the proposal includes plans to distribute support in unserved areas and addresses Tribal consent requirements for the ACF, which could impact Tribal lands in Alaska.
The public is invited to comment on these proposals. The deadlines for initial comments are Feb. 3, 2025, and reply comments are Mar. 4, 2025.
The initiative aims to advance modern mobile and fixed broadband services in Alaska, addressing the unique challenges of deploying such services in remote and high-cost areas.
The FCC is also exploring incentives for deploying networks with Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology and setting minimum service requirements for providers.
The proposal includes a reverse auction mechanism to allocate $162 million from the Alaska Plan for deploying services in unserved areas, potentially opening opportunities for new providers.
The FCC emphasizes the importance of Tribal engagement and consent, proposing requirements for providers to obtain Tribal consent for new deployments on Tribal lands.
Local communities, especially those in remote and Tribal areas, are encouraged to participate in the comment process to ensure their needs and concerns are addressed.
