FairPoint accepts $37.4 million per year in Connect America funding

FairPoint Communications has accepted $37.4 million per year for the next six years from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Connect America Fund (CAF). The money will help the carrier expand 10/1 Mbps broadband service to 105,000 locations in 14 states.

The Connect America Fund subsidizes the expansion of high-speed Internet to rural areas, “where market forces alone can’t support expansion.” Carriers that accept CAF funding must expand broadband to funded locations by the end of 2020.

Windstream Communicationsaccepted $175 million from CAF last week. Frontier Communications accepted $283 million in June. The Connect America Fundoffered CenturyLink $514.3 million, offered AT&T $484 million, and offered Verizon $143.9 million per year for six years. Carriers must decide by August 27 whether to accept the CAF subsidies with obligations for rural broadband build-out on a statewide basis.

FairPoint takes $37.4M in CAF II funds, eyes broadband expansion for 105K locations (FierceTelecom, Aug. 19, 2015)

Windstream accepts $175 million in Connect America funding (Speed Matters, Aug. 9, 2015)