The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) has denied a petition filed by CRC Communications LLC (CRC) seeking waiver of section 54.320(d) of the FCC’s rules. Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction carriers were required to offer voice and broadband service meeting the relevant performance obligations to 80 percent of the required number of locations by December 31, 2024. The number of locations a CAF Phase II carrier is required to serve is based on the Connect America Cost Model’s (CAM) estimate of how many locations are in the eligible census blocks in the carrier’s service area. CRC notified the Bureau that it would not be able to meet the December 31 service milestone deadline and claimed that the wireless company it had partnered with to meet its CAF Phase II auction obligations, WiValley-MA Inc., had become insolvent.
The Bureau has affirmed that CRC will be subject to the relevant Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction non-compliance measures if it does not serve the required number of locations pursuant to its CAF Phase II auction obligations. The Bureau has concluded that it would not serve the public interest to provide relief simply because most of the affected locations already happen to be served or will be served. The Bureau has also determined that CRC abdicated its responsibility to meet its obligations and failed to demonstrate good cause to warrant the relief requested.
