Goto Section: 54.310 | 54.312 | Table of Contents
FCC 54.311
Revised as of October 1, 2019
Goto Year:2018 |
2020
§ 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.
(1) For the purposes of this section, “A-CAM I” refers to carriers
initially authorized to receive CAF-ACAM support as of January 24,
2017, including any carriers that later elected revised offers, except
for carriers described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section. For such
carriers, the first program year of CAF-ACAM is 2017.
(2) For the purposes of this section, “Revised A-CAM I” refers to
carriers initially authorized to receive CAF-ACAM support as of January
24, 2017, and were subsequently authorized to receive CAF-ACAM pursuant
to a revised offer after January 1, 2019. For such carriers, the first
program year of CAF-ACAM is 2017.
(3) For the purposes of this section, “A-CAM II” refers to carriers
first authorized to receive A-CAM support after January 1, 2019. For
such carriers, the first program year of CAF-ACAM is 2019.
(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
A-CAM I carriers for a term that extends until December 31, 2026, and
to Revised A-CAM I and A-CAM II carriers for a term that extends until
December 31, 2028.
(d) Interim deployment milestones. Recipients of CAF-ACAM model-based
support must meet the following interim milestones with respect to
their deployment obligations set forth in § 54.308(a)(1)(i) of this
subpart. 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).
(1) A-CAM I and Revised A-CAM I carriers must complete deployment of
10/1 Mbps service to a number of eligible locations equal 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, A-CAM I 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). For
Revised A-CAM I carriers, the deployment milestones for 10/1 Mbps
service described in this paragraph shall be based on the number of
locations that were fully funded pursuant to authorizations made prior
to January 1, 2019.
(2) Revised A-CAM I and A-CAM II carriers must complete deployment of
25/3 Mbps service to a number of eligible locations equal to 40 percent
of locations required by § 54.308(a)(1) of this subpart by the end of
2022, 50 percent of requisite locations by the end of 2023, 60 percent
of requisite locations by the end of 2024, 70 percent of requisite
location by the end of 2025, 80 percent of requisite locations by the
end of 2026, 90 percent of requisite locations by the end of 2027, and
100 percent of requisite locations by the end of 2028.
(e) Transition to CAF-ACAM Support. An A-CAM I, Revised A-CAM I, or
A-CAM II carrier whose final model-based support is less than the
carrier's legacy rate-of-return support in its base year as defined in
paragraph (e)(4) of this section, will transition as follows:
(1) If the difference between a carrier's model-based support and its
base year support, as determined by paragraph (e)(4) of this section,
is ten percent or less, it will receive, in addition to model-based
support, 50 percent of that difference in program year one, and then
will receive model support in program years two through ten.
(2) If the difference between a carrier's model-based support and its
base year 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 program 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 base year support amount. If 20 percent of the
difference between a carrier's model-based support and base year
support is less than five percent of the total base year support
amount, the transition payments will be phased-down five percent of the
total base year support amount each year.
(3) If the difference between a carrier's model-based support and its
base year 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 base year support amount.
If ten percent of the difference between a carrier's model-based
support and its base year support is less than five percent of the
total base year support amount, the transition payments will be
phased-down five percent of the total base year support amount each
year.
(4) The carrier's base year support for purposes of the calculation of
transition payments is:
(i) For A-CAM I and Revised A-CAM I carriers, 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; and
(ii) For A-CAM II carriers, the amount of high-cost loop support and
Connect America Fund—Broadband Loop Support disbursed to the carrier
for 2018 without regard to prior period adjustments related to years
other than 2018, as determined by the Administrator as of January 31,
2019 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;
84 FR 4731 , Feb. 19, 2019]
Effective Date Note: At 81 FR 24340 . Apr. 25, 2016, § 54.311 was added.
Paragraph (a) contains information collection and recordkeeping
requirements and will not become effective until approval has been
given by the Office of Management and Budget.
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Goto Section: 54.310 | 54.312
Goto Year: 2018 |
2020
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