FCC commissioner discusses funding opportunities for Alaska broadband

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Federal broadband officers frolicked in Alaska this week as large selections loom concerning the $65 billion in infrastructure funding for nationwide broadband growth.

Commissioner Brendan Carr of the U.S. Federal Communications Fee was amongst these visiting and mentioned the journey was an opportunity to see the challenges of bringing high-speed connectivity to Alaska.

“I needed to rise up right here and see firsthand the expertise Alaska suppliers are having coping with the FCC map,” Carr mentioned.

Based on Carr, the communications fee is updating its nationwide broadband map, and the variety of underserved places will determine how a lot federal funding will come to Alaska.

“What we’re listening to from Alaskan suppliers is that the present iteration of the FCC map, which isn’t public, however carriers have entry to it,” Carr mentioned. “Is orders of magnitude incorrect in the case of figuring out the places that want web service right here in Alaska, and in order that falls on us again on the FCC to get these maps proper.”

Throughout his journey, Carr frolicked on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and mentioned he noticed communities paying thousands and thousands of {dollars} for little to no web connection.

“As a federal official that works on the web, that’s fully unacceptable,” Carr mentioned. “This $40 million from DC could make a distinction on this state.”

Federal funding from the FCC for high-speed broadband caught headlines this week when the communications fee rejected SpaceX’s software for practically $900 million {dollars} in web subsidies.

“I don’t stand with the FCC resolution on that,” Carr mentioned. “I used to be stunned myself; I came upon via a press launch that the FCC put out whereas I used to be uo within the YK Delta.”

Based on Carr, the subsidies would have served specific rural communities in 35 states.

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