Press Release

PUC Advances Broadband Deployment in Rural Pennsylvania with Approval of Four Additional ‘ETC Designations’

Published on 8/26/2021

Filed under: Telecommunications

PUC Has Now Approved Ten Designations Enabling PA Providers to Access Federal High-Cost Support Funds for Enhanced Voice & Broadband Services

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today approved petitions from four additional telecommunications service providers concerning their status as Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) in Pennsylvania – enabling the companies to access federal high-cost support funding awarded through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase 1 Auction. 

RDOF is a federally operated program through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the FCC’s latest initiative to build on efforts to bring robust, affordable voice and broadband services to America’s rural areas.  Under federal law, Pennsylvania companies must obtain an ETC designation from the PUC before receiving federal universal service fund support to build voice and broadband networks and provide related services in high-cost areas of the Commonwealth. 

The Commission today approved four new ETC designations in the Commonwealth – granting the petitions of Starlink Services LLC (Starlink), Youngsville Television Corporation d/b/a Blue Fiber Corporation (YTV) and Connect Everyone LLC (doing business as Starry); and the joint petition of Commonwealth Telephone Company LLC d/b/a Frontier Communications Commonwealth Telephone Company; Frontier Communications of Breezewood, LLC; Frontier Communications of Canton, LLC; and Frontier Communications of Pennsylvania, LLC  and CTSI, LLC d/b/a Frontier Communications CTSI, LLC (collectively the PA Frontier Companies).

All four companies were successful bidders and awarded funding in the recent RDOF Phase 1 Auction 904 – in which the FCC awarded up to $923 million annually for 10 years to winning bidders committed to providing voice and fixed broadband Internet services (BIAS) to unserved, high-cost areas, including Pennsylvania.

Following the FCC’s decision to conduct reverse auctions to distribute federal high-cost support, the Commission has now granted ten ETC designations - with Starlink, YTV, Starry and the PA Frontier Companies joining Claverack Communications LLC; Time Warner Cable Information Services (Pennsylvania) LLC; Centre WISP Venture Company LLC; Velocity.Net Communications, Inc.; Armstrong Telecommunications, Inc. (ATI) and Tri-Co Connections LLC – as well as the Commonwealth’s incumbent local exchange carrier telephone companies (ILECs), as current ETCs.

A total of 13 bidders in Pennsylvania will receive $368.7 million over the next 10 years to bring high speed internet service to homes and businesses to 184,505 locations that are underserved, or do not have access to broadband that meets current federal standards.

According to the FCC, the Pennsylvania projects will reach an estimated 327,000 residents in Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York counties.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

For recent news releases and video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility.  “Like” PAPowerSwitch on Facebook for easy access to information on electric shopping.

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Docket Nos.:     

P-2021-3023580
P-2021-3023604
P-2021-3023915
P-2021-3027909

Contact:

• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  dhixson@pa.gov