Goto Section: 54.310 | 54.312 | Table of Contents
FCC 54.311
Revised as of October 5, 2017
Goto Year:2016 |
2018
§ 54.311 Connect America Fund Alternative-Connect America Cost Model
Support.
(a) Voluntary election of model-based support. A rate-of-return carrier
(as that term is defined in § 54.5) receiving support pursuant to
subparts K or M of this part shall have the opportunity to voluntarily
elect, on a state-level basis, to receive Connect America
Fund-Alternative Connect America Cost Model (CAF-ACAM) support as
calculated by the Alternative-Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM)
adopted by the Commission in lieu of support calculated pursuant to
subparts K or M of this part. Any rate-of-return carrier not electing
support pursuant to this section shall continue to receive support
calculated pursuant to those mechanisms as specified in Commission
rules for high-cost support.
(b) Geographic areas eligible for support. CAF-ACAM model-based support
will be made available for a specific number of locations in census
blocks identified as eligible for each carrier by public notice. The
eligible areas and number of locations for each state identified by the
public notice shall not change during the term of support identified in
paragraph (c) of this section.
(c) Term of support. CAF-ACAM model-based support shall be provided to
the carriers that elect to make a state-level commitment for a term
that extends until December 31, 2026.
(d) Interim deployment milestones. Recipients of CAF-ACAM model-based
support must complete deployment to 40 percent of fully funded
locations by the end of 2020, to 50 percent of fully funded locations
by the end of 2021, to 60 percent of fully funded locations by the end
of 2022, to 70 percent of fully funded locations by the end of 2023, to
80 percent of fully funded locations by the end of 2024, to 90 percent
of fully funded locations by the end of 2025, and to 100 percent of
fully funded locations by the end of 2026. By the end of 2026, carriers
must complete deployment of broadband meeting a standard of at least 25
Mbps downstream/3 Mbps upstream to the requisite number of locations
specified in § 54.308(a)(1)(i). Compliance shall be determined based on
the total number of fully funded locations in a state. Carriers that
complete deployment to at least 95 percent of the requisite number of
locations will be deemed to be in compliance with their deployment
obligations. The remaining locations that receive capped support are
subject to the standard specified in § 54.308(a)(1)(ii).
(e) Transition to CAF-ACAM Support. Carriers electing CAF-ACAM
model-based support whose final model-based support is less than the
carrier's high-cost loop support and interstate common line support
disbursements for 2015, will transition to model-based support as
follows:
(1) If the difference between a carrier's model-based support and its
2015 high-cost support, as determined in paragraph (e)(4) of this
section, is 10 percent or less, it will receive, in addition to
model-based support, 50 percent of that difference in year one, and
then will receive model support in years two through ten.
(2) If the difference between a carrier's model-based support and its
2015 high-cost support, as determined in paragraph (e)(4) of this
section, is 25 percent or less, but more than 10 percent, it will
receive, in addition to model-based support, an additional transition
payment for up to four years, and then will receive model support in
years five through ten. The transition payments will be phased-down 20
percent per year, provided that each phase-down amount is at least five
percent of the total 2015 high-cost support amount. If 20 percent of
the difference between a carrier's model-based support and its 2015
high-cost support is less than five percent of the total 2015 high-cost
support amount, the transition payments will be phased-down five
percent of the total 2015 high-cost support amount each year.
(3) If the difference between a carrier's model-based support and its
2015 high-cost support, as determined in paragraph (e)(4) of this
section, is more than 25 percent, it will receive, in addition to
model-based support, an additional transition payment for up to nine
years, and then will receive model support in year ten. The transition
payments will be phased-down ten percent per year, provided that each
phase-down amount is at least five percent of the total 2015 high-cost
support amount. If ten percent of the difference between a carrier's
model-based support and its 2015 high-cost support is less than five
percent of the total 2015 high-cost support amount, the transition
payments will be phased-down five percent of the total 2015 high-cost
support amount each year.
(4) The carrier's 2015 support for purposes of the calculation of
transition payments is the amount of high-cost loop support and
interstate common line support disbursed to the carrier for 2015
without regard to prior period adjustments related to years other than
2015, as determined by the Administrator as of January 31, 2016 and
publicly announced prior to the election period for the voluntary path
to the model.
81 FR 24340 , Apr. 25, 2016, as amended at 82 FR 14339 , Mar. 20, 2017]
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Goto Section: 54.310 | 54.312
Goto Year: 2016 |
2018
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