Frontier Communications (NASDAQ:FTR) has accepted offers from the FCC totaling more than $283 million in annual Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II support to deploy broadband services to more than 650,000 high-cost rural locations throughout its 28-state service area.
The FCC established the CAF in 2011 to facilitate broadband deployment to rural areas without access to broadband infrastructure. In 2012 and 2013, the FCC issued CAF Phase I, one-time interim support for deployment of broadband access to unserved and underserved locations. Frontier participated in that round of funding and invested $133 million of CAF Phase I funding in addition to its own capital to deploy or upgrade broadband service to nearly 200,000 locations.
