The Federal Communications Commission says nearly 71,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses will gain access to high-speed Internet service for the first time following the FCC’s Connect America Fund Phase II auction.
The results were released this week showing the auction allocated $113,599,114 in support to be distributed over the next decade to expand rural broadband service in unserved areas. A dozen providers won support from the Connect America Fund to expand broadband in rural areas where without the funding, the broadband expansion and ongoing service would not be economically feasible.
“The successful conclusion of this first-of-its kind auction is great news for the residents of these rural communities, who will finally be able to share in the 21st-century digital opportunities that broadband provides,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “By tapping the mechanisms of the marketplace, the Phase II auction served as the most appropriate and cost-effective way to allocate funding for broadband in these unserved communities, bringing the highest-quality broadband services to the most consumers at the lowest cost to the ratepayer.”
Nationwide, the auction allocated $1.488 billion in support to be distributed over the next 10 years for 103 providers to expand rural broadband service in unserved areas in 45 states.
Following is a list of winning bidders, number of homes and businesses to be served (locations), and total support for 10 years in Oklahoma, by county:
|
County |
Bidder |
Locations |
Support |
|
Adair |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
4650 |
$10,766,309 |
|
Alfalfa |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
183 |
$1,121,934 |
|
Atoka |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
789 |
$1,303,338 |
|
Beckham |
Plains internet, LLC |
1275 |
$491,455 |
|
Blaine |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
56 |
$360,105 |
|
Bryan |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
578 |
$215,174 |
|
Caddo |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
902 |
$2,046,135 |
|
Caddo |
Consortium 903 |
1 |
$267 |
|
|
Caddo, OK Total |
903 |
$2,046,402 |
|
Canadian |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
1892 |
$2,974,907 |
|
Canadian |
Redwire, Inc. |
6 |
$7,111 |
|
|
Canadian, OK Total |
1898 |
$2,982,018 |
|
Cherokee |
Lake Region Technology & Communications, LLC |
1441 |
$2,388,261 |
|
Cherokee |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
777 |
$1,362,756 |
|
|
Cherokee, OK Total |
2218 |
$3,751,017 |
|
Choctaw |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
40 |
$7,744 |
|
Choctaw |
Redwire, Inc. |
3222 |
$1,188,341 |
|
|
Choctaw, OK Total |
3262 |
$1,196,084 |
|
Cleveland |
Consortium 903 |
42 |
$9,973 |
|
Cleveland |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
661 |
$778,405 |
|
|
Cleveland, OK Total |
703 |
$788,379 |
|
Coal |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
448 |
$1,395,158 |
|
Comanche |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
58 |
$48,078 |
|
Comanche |
Hilliary Communications Consortium |
664 |
$857,095 |
|
|
Comanche, OK Total |
722 |
$905,173 |
|
Cotton |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
179 |
$132,778 |
|
Craig |
Wisper ISP, Inc |
609 |
$1,852,906 |
|
Creek |
Consortium 903 |
811 |
$329,111 |
|
Creek |
Redwire, Inc. |
55 |
$77,351 |
|
Creek |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
2215 |
$6,116,100 |
|
|
Creek, OK Total |
3081 |
$6,522,561 |
|
Custer |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
6 |
$49,269 |
|
Custer |
Plains internet, LLC |
810 |
$435,772 |
|
|
Custer, OK Total |
816 |
$485,041 |
|
Delaware |
Consortium 903 |
92 |
$77,272 |
|
Delaware |
Wisper ISP, Inc |
153 |
$225,771 |
|
|
Delaware, OK Total |
245 |
$303,043 |
|
Dewey |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
21 |
$55,113 |
|
Garfield |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
1399 |
$4,176,185 |
|
Garvin |
WPS |
258 |
$102,619 |
|
Grady |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
392 |
$686,105 |
|
Grady |
Consortium 903 |
4 |
$59 |
|
Grady |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
754 |
$872,239 |
|
|
Grady, OK Total |
1150 |
$1,558,403 |
|
Grant |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
94 |
$830,709 |
|
Greer |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
226 |
$1,068,725 |
|
Harmon |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
28 |
$269,995 |
|
Harper |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
24 |
$228,575 |
|
Haskell |
NBVDS Investment, L.L.C. |
1 |
$3,006 |
|
Haskell |
Redwire, Inc. |
782 |
$688,017 |
|
|
Haskell, OK Total |
783 |
$691,023 |
|
Hughes |
Consortium 903 |
1253 |
$617,355 |
|
Hughes |
Redwire, Inc. |
251 |
$192,534 |
|
|
Hughes, OK Total |
1504 |
$809,889 |
|
Jackson |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
523 |
$2,505,543 |
|
Jefferson |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
99 |
$103,943 |
|
Johnston |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
43 |
$29,608 |
|
Johnston |
Consortium 903 |
27 |
$15,326 |
|
|
Johnston, OK Total |
70 |
$44,934 |
|
Kay |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
2219 |
$5,806,672 |
|
Kingfisher |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
192 |
$531,269 |
|
Kiowa |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
982 |
$1,483,378 |
|
Latimer |
Hilliary Communications Consortium |
344 |
$1,593,701 |
|
Latimer |
Pine Cellular Phones, Inc. |
793 |
$308,914 |
|
|
Latimer, OK Total |
1137 |
$1,902,615 |
|
Le Flore |
Hilliary Communications Consortium |
229 |
$710,227 |
|
Le Flore |
NBVDS Investment, L.L.C. |
210 |
$827,394 |
|
Le Flore |
Pine Cellular Phones, Inc. |
206 |
$1,434,789 |
|
Le Flore |
Pine Cellular Phones, Inc. |
128 |
$26,087 |
|
Le Flore |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
251 |
$691,567 |
|
|
Le Flore, OK Total |
1024 |
$3,690,064 |
|
Lincoln |
Consortium 903 |
2315 |
$637,019 |
|
Lincoln |
Redwire, Inc. |
374 |
$134,009 |
|
Lincoln |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
25 |
$190,030 |
|
|
Lincoln, OK Total |
2714 |
$961,057 |
|
Logan |
Consortium 903 |
2392 |
$606,597 |
|
Logan |
Redwire, Inc. |
324 |
$156,897 |
|
|
Logan, OK Total |
2716 |
$763,493 |
|
Major |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
484 |
$2,610,347 |
|
Mayes |
Wisper ISP, Inc |
173 |
$270,763 |
|
McClain |
Consortium 903 |
345 |
$138,668 |
|
McClain |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
42 |
$53,331 |
|
|
McClain, OK Total |
387 |
$191,999 |
|
McCurtain |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
40 |
$6,312 |
|
McCurtain |
ArisWave Consortium |
30 |
$126,883 |
|
McCurtain |
Pine Cellular Phones, Inc. |
852 |
$2,925,760 |
|
McCurtain |
Redwire, Inc. |
1006 |
$928,010 |
|
|
McCurtain, OK Total |
1928 |
$3,986,964 |
|
McIntosh |
NBVDS Investment, L.L.C. |
18 |
$32,478 |
|
McIntosh |
Redwire, Inc. |
11 |
$8,778 |
|
McIntosh |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
1260 |
$3,056,701 |
|
|
McIntosh, OK Total |
1289 |
$3,097,956 |
|
Muskogee |
Lake Region Technology & Communications, LLC |
267 |
$465,443 |
|
Muskogee |
NBVDS Investment, L.L.C. |
28 |
$44,673 |
|
Muskogee |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
958 |
$1,981,930 |
|
|
Muskogee, OK Total |
1253 |
$2,492,046 |
|
Noble |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
1822 |
$5,093,951 |
|
Nowata |
Wisper ISP, Inc |
1144 |
$3,670,475 |
|
Okfuskee |
Consortium 903 |
23 |
$32,770 |
|
Okfuskee |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
1664 |
$7,322,889 |
|
|
Okfuskee, OK Total |
1687 |
$7,355,659 |
|
Oklahoma |
Consortium 903 |
1376 |
$197,219 |
|
Oklahoma |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
3 |
$11,339 |
|
|
Oklahoma, OK Total |
1379 |
$208,558 |
|
Okmulgee |
Consortium 903 |
25 |
$5,239 |
|
Okmulgee |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
1553 |
$3,328,084 |
|
|
Okmulgee, OK Total |
1578 |
$3,333,323 |
|
Osage |
Consortium 903 |
45 |
$31,705 |
|
Osage |
Redwire, Inc. |
1590 |
$1,205,740 |
|
|
Osage, OK Total |
1635 |
$1,237,445 |
|
Ottawa |
Wisper ISP, Inc |
364 |
$770,175 |
|
Pawnee |
Consortium 903 |
296 |
$112,902 |
|
Pawnee |
NBVDS Investment, L.L.C. |
14 |
$78,465 |
|
Pawnee |
NBVDS Investment, L.L.C. |
386 |
$1,754,254 |
|
Pawnee |
Redwire, Inc. |
413 |
$174,565 |
|
|
Pawnee, OK Total |
1109 |
$2,120,186 |
|
Payne |
Consortium 903 |
3509 |
$1,889,510 |
|
Pittsburg |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
1333 |
$1,165,329 |
|
Pittsburg |
Consortium 903 |
2 |
$785 |
|
|
Pittsburg, OK Total |
1335 |
$1,166,114 |
|
Pontotoc |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
10 |
$4,215 |
|
Pontotoc |
WPS |
382 |
$95,719 |
|
|
Pontotoc, OK Total |
392 |
$99,934 |
|
Pottawatomie |
Consortium 903 |
218 |
$49,340 |
|
Pottawatomie |
NBVDS Investment, L.L.C. |
10 |
$36,673 |
|
Pottawatomie |
WPS |
314 |
$125,671 |
|
|
Pottawatomie, OK Total |
542 |
$211,684 |
|
Pushmataha |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
1831 |
$552,394 |
|
Pushmataha |
Redwire, Inc. |
7 |
$5,496 |
|
|
Pushmataha, OK Total |
1838 |
$557,890 |
|
Roger Mills |
Plains internet, LLC |
201 |
$155,736 |
|
Rogers |
Consortium 903 |
474 |
$415,296 |
|
Seminole |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
26 |
$210,177 |
|
Sequoyah |
ArisWave Consortium |
3519 |
$1,676,279 |
|
Sequoyah |
Lake Region Technology & Communications, LLC |
114 |
$84,280 |
|
Sequoyah |
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium |
37 |
$101,725 |
|
|
Sequoyah, OK Total |
3670 |
$1,862,284 |
|
Stephens |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
128 |
$330,290 |
|
Tillman |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
53 |
$289,693 |
|
Wagoner |
Consortium 903 |
48 |
$39,767 |
|
Wagoner |
Lake Region Technology & Communications, LLC |
425 |
$1,086,517 |
|
|
Wagoner, OK Total |
473 |
$1,126,283 |
|
Washington |
Consortium 903 |
359 |
$151,472 |
|
Washita |
Plains internet, LLC |
908 |
$687,575 |
|
Woods |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
173 |
$1,294,788 |
|
Woodward |
AMG Technology Investment Group LLC |
636 |
$2,507,470 |
|
Total |
70,727 |
$113,599,144 |
As a result, 53% of all homes and businesses nationwide served with support from the auction will have broadband available with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second. 19% will have gigabit service available. And 711,389 locations—all but 0.25%—will have at least 25 Mbps service available, more than twice the 10 Mbps minimum standard for the Connect America Fund program.
The auction also unleashed robust price competition that means more locations will be served at less cost to Americans who pay into the Fund. Although the 713,176 locations assigned had an initial reserve price of $5 billion over the next decade nationwide, the final price tag to cover these locations is now only $1.488 billion.
Providers must build out to 40 percent of the assigned homes and businesses in a state within three years of becoming authorized to receive support. Buildout must increase by 20 percent in each subsequent year, until complete buildout is reach at the end of the sixth year.
The Connect America Fund Phase II auction is part of a broader effort by the FCC to close the digital divide in rural America. In addition to the funding that will provided by this auction, the Commission is working toward the launch of a $4.53 billion Mobility Fund Phase II auction to expand 4G LTE wireless coverage throughout rural America. And the Connect America Fund is in the midst of providing over $9 billion over a six-year period for rural broadband in areas served by large carriers.