- Background: Last year, the FCC adopted rules governing a Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) reverse auction to award universal service support for mobile wireless carriers. The Commission established a budget of $4.53 billion over ten years to provide ongoing support for the provision of service in areas that, absent subsidies, lack adequate mobile voice and broadband coverage. Geographic areas lacking unsubsidized, qualified 4G LTE service have been initially deemed "eligible areas" for MF-II support; those with such service have been deemed initially "ineligible." On February 27, the FCC released a map showing areas across the United States presumed eligible to receive support for the deployment of 4G LTE service. This map was based on the coverage maps provided by the service providers, but if state or local government officials believe the map is incorrect, they now have an opportunity to provide input to help correct the map. The process for submission of evidence to correct the map is called the "challenge process." The Commission announced the procedures for the challenge process in which governmental entities and other interested parties will have an opportunity to challenge an initial determination that an area is ineligible for MF-II support.
- The window for submitting a challenge is opened on March 29, 2018, and will remain open until November 26, 2018 (extended from August 27). A link to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) challenge process portal is at www.fcc.gov/mobility-fund-phase-2.
QUICK FACTS
- Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) will make available up to $4.53 billion in support over 10 years to primarily rural areas that lack unsubsidized 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) service. MF-II is critically important to supporting mobile voice and broadband coverage, incentivizing the deployment of mobile wireless service through a reverse auction, and ensuring that 4G LTE service is preserved and advanced in those areas of the country that lack unsubsidized service.
- State and local officials who believe that particular locations currently lack LTE service can examine whether those locations are included in the map of eligible areas and challenge the initial determination, if the map shows that they are currently deemed ineligible.
- Beginning on March 22, 2018, any party that submits contact information to the portal access request form (at www.fcc.gov/MF2-Challenge-Portal/form) and obtains login credentials will be able to test its credentials by logging in to the portal. All parties interested in participating in the challenge process must fill out the Portal Access Request Form in order to receive access to the USAC challenge process portal.