The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) has granted a domestic section 214 application filed by American Broadband Holding Company’s (American Broadband dba Fastwyre) and CSM Intermediate II, LLC (CSM Intermediate) (together, the Applicants), requesting Commission consent to transfer control of American Broadband’s wholly owned subsidiaries, including Cameron Communications, Cameron Telephone, Elizabeth Telephone, Moundville Telephone, and MTC Long Distance, Inc., to CSM Intermediate.
The grant highlights the Applicants’ voluntary commitment to address potential overlap between broadband deployment obligations supported through the Enhanced A-CAM (E-ACAM) and Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) programs. Following consummation of the transaction and as part of its commitment to responsible stewardship of Universal Service Fund (USF) resources, CSM Intermediate committed to return USF support associated with any locations determined to receive overlapping E-ACAM and RDOF funding. CSM Intermediate also agreed to relinquish all future support payments for such locations. The Bureau expressly relied on the commitment in its public-interest analysis, underscoring the FCC’s continued scrutiny of overlapping high-cost support obligations in section 214 transactions involving broadband-supported carriers.
