RURAL DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY FUND
$20.4 billion in funding over a ten-year period to support broadband networks in rural communities across the country.
ADTRAN offers the industry’s broadest portfolio of broadband access solutions available for the RDOF program, capable of addressing a wide range of geographies, network topologies, and subscriber densities.
ADTRAN Access Solutions for RDOF
Fiber
Advanced fiber access technologies provide the network capacity and flexibility to deliver gigabit and multigigabit broadband to support the full range of community use cases.
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Gfast
Fiber extension technology delivering symmetric gigabit broadband utilizing existing infrastructure, such as phone or TV wiring, speeding time-to-market while lowering costs.
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Vectoring
Rapidly deploy 100+Mbps broadband over existing copper infrastructure, utilizing Vectored VDSL2 / SuperVectoring and sealed Fiber-to-the-Node / Cabinet (FTTN/FTTCab) solutions.
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Fixed Wireless
Maximize your fiber deployments leveraging CBRS and mmWave fiber extension solutions to connect rural underserved markets rapidly, and jump-start smart city applications.
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Access Architectures Provide Solution Options
for all RDOF Performance Tiers
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ADTRAN GLOBAL SERVICES
We offer a full suite of RDOF-focused services and support ranging from field surveys and planning to site commissioning and subscriber provisioning backed by a proven model and established partnerships.
ADTRAN leads the industry in CAF deployments with 10,000+ access nodes (over 1M homes passed).
RDOF Background
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) is a federal funding program expected to allocate $20.4 billion over 10 years toward subsidizing rural broadband networks
The program is planned for implementation upon expiration of the Connect America Fund phase II (CAF-2) program in 2021, hence RDOF is also informally known as CAF-3.
Delivering Competitive Broadband
The RDOF seeks to encourage the deployment of networks that will stand the test of time, placing the highest value on those providing gigabit connections. It requires winning bidders in Phase I to offer the supported broadband and voice service to all eligible homes and small businesses within the awarded areas.
Structure and Schedule
The RDOF will target areas that lack access to 25/3 Mbps broadband services in two phases. During Phase 1 up to $16B will be auctioned for high-cost areas (census blocks) where there is no 25/3 Mbps service at all according to the Form 477 data. The Phase 1 auction will occur in 2020, with the subsidies commencing in 2021.
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ADTRAN offers the industry’s broadest portfolio of broadband access solutions available for the RDOF program, capable of addressing a wide range of geographies, network topologies, and subscriber densities.
RDOF At-a-Glance
Reverse auction based, four performance tiers
[weighting on speed and latency]
6-Year Broadband Build Requirements
40% completion by end of year three of funding
20% for each subsequent year
100% complete by end of year six**
** Some additional time for construction is provided if the actual number of locations exceeds the FCC model’s number.
$20.4B over 10 years
in two Phases
$16B for census blocks unserved by 25/3 Mbps
$4.4B for unserved locations in partially served census blocks plus areas not won in Phase 1*
*The FCC indicated that it may revisit the Phase 2 budget after it has additional information gained from Phase 1.
Location Eligibility and Evaluating Bids
The FCC has deemed nearly 5.5 million locations eligible for bidding in Phase 1 of the RDOF auction.
The map below links to the FCC's currently published preliminary map identifying eligible areas by census block group.
| Performance Tier | Speed | Monthly Usage Allowance | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | ≥ 25/3 Mbps | ≥ 250 GB or U.S. average, whichever is higher | 50 |
| Baseline | ≥ 50/5 Mbps | ≥ 250 GB or U.S. average, whichever is higher | 35 |
| Above Baseline | ≥ 100/20 Mbps | ≥ 2 TB | 20 |
| Gigabit | ≥ 1 Gbps/500 Mbps | ≥ 2 TB | 0 |
| Latency | Requirement | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Low Latency | ≤ 100 ms | 0 |
| High Latency | ≤ 750 ms & MOS ≥ 4 | 40 |
ENSURING YOUR SUCCESS
ADTRAN is committed to helping every step of the way in pursuing RDOF support, beginning with technical assistance for the short-form application.
To ensure successful project planning and network rollouts, we have partnered with leading experts in bid strategy and project development, application preparation, network design planning, and countless other areas that provide the complete ecosystem of products and services needed to build a broadband network.
Resources
