The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is bringing back its initiative project called 5G Fund for Rural America in the hopes of subsidizing 5G coverage in these locations.
In a new announcement, the FCC revealed a reverse auction that will award parties up to $9 billion. This funding is intended for “targeted investments… to bring voice and 5G mobile broadband service to rural areas o the country unlikely to otherwise see unsubsidized deployment of 5G-capable networks.”
The FCC is updating its National Broadband Map to identify the key areas that will need 5G coverage the most. It is using its own Mobile Speed Test app to identify these areas.
Additionally, the FCC plans to allocate funds close to $1 billion to encourage 5G deployment using ORAN (Open Radio Access Network) technology, citing this “benefits for competition, national security, and supply chain reliability.”
Source: PhoneScoop
