WTA Urges FCC to Seek Alternatives to Amnesty for Surrendered RDOF Awards

WTA urged the FCC to consider "alternatives not involving waivers or amnesties" that will incentivize Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase (RDOF) I auction recipients who can't or won't build networks to relinquish their awards ahead of NTIA's broadband, equity, access, and deployment (BEAD) program (see 2404240050). The group said in a meeting with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel that the FCC "must strictly enforce its auction rules, terms, and conditions." A waiver would "not only encourage future reverse auction participants to expect relief from unsuccessful bidding tactics" but also "open the door to increased judicial scrutiny," WTA said in an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 19-126. The FCC should "condition an RDOF awardee's acceptance of the reduced default penalty" of 10% of a carrier's "total relevant RDOF support" on the awardee's "enforceable commitment not to seek BEAD grants for any of its relinquished RDOF service areas."