FCC Proposes "Mobility Fund" to Subsidize Providers Serving Areas That Lack 3G

In today's open meeting, the FCC unanimously adopted an NPRM that proposes to create a new universal service program, the "Mobility Fund," that would provide subsidies to mobile providers in areas of the country currently lacking 3G coverage. They have proposed to fund this effort with a one-time allocation of $100-300 million, funded by USF money reclaimed from Verizon Wireless and Sprint. The FCC has proposed to allocate the funds through a reverse auction mechanism.

Look for a DWT Advisory with analysis of the NPRM that was just released by the FCC. In the meantime, you can read the FCC's news release summarizing the NPRM here. A copy of the NPRM is available here.

UPDATE

The DWT Advisory: "FCC Seeks Comment on New Mobility Fund" is now available here.