Aristotle to Receive RDOF Funds from FCC for Rural Broadband Development
On March 10th, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that Aristotle Unified Communications was in the next group of nationwide winning bidders authorized to receive funds in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I auction. Aristotle’s award will enable deployment of broadband into historically unserved rural areas of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Illinois by 2029.
Since its founding in 1995, Aristotle has been committed to bringing broadband connectivity to rural communities,” Aristotle President, Elizabeth Bowles, said. “This award will facilitate more rapid deployment of broadband into areas such as the Arkansas Delta that have historically been overlooked by phone companies and large broadband providers.”
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
The FCC is preparing to release over $640 million as part of the RDOF Phase 1 program, which will benefit 26 states. The RDOF auction is part of a broader commitment by the FCC to improve the state of broadband in rural America. To date, the RDOF program has announced over $4.7 Billion in broadband funding for nearly 300 carriers in 47 states and serving over 2.6 million locations.
“Today’s funding will help connect hundreds of thousands of Americans to high-speed, broadband internet service,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “As we approve this funding, we remain committed to making sure that this program serves areas that truly need broadband and funds carriers that can do the job.”
RDOF is a structured, multi-year initiative that functions as a public-private partnership to bridge the digital divide:
- The government distributes grant funds to cover a significant portion of the cost to build out the physical fiber infrastructure.
- Aristotle is required to match the funding by contributing a minimum of 25% of the total project cost.
- Program deployment must be completed by the end of 2028.