FCC seeks details on Mobility Fund

The Federal Communications Commission is going forward with plans to create a Mobility Fund as part of its overall National Broadband Plan. The agency released a notice of proposed rulemaking that would create the fund, taking between $100 million and $300 from the Universal Service Fund.
The NPRM would identify areas that do not have access to 3G technologies today and implement a reverse auction, which would allow the low-bid operator to build out those areas. The FCC also is seeking comment on whether to make support available to any unserved area or to target support by making it available in a limited set of unserved areas. Finally, the commission is asking what minimum performance and coverage requirements should be established for the service.
The FCC first announced plans to reform the USF Fund in April, citing the need to change the fund “from supporting networks providing plain old telephone service into an effective and efficient tool for making affordable, high-quality broadband communications service available to all Americans.”