Funding to expand broadband access in region

An Federal Communications Commission auction will result in millions of dollars in broadband internet access investment in Southeast Missouri.

All locations in Missouri that were eligible for the auction will be receiving access to gigabit-speed broadband, according to an FCC release.

“This historic auction is great news for the residents of so many rural Missouri communities, who will get access to high-quality broadband service in areas that for too long have been on the wrong side of the digital divide,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “We structured this innovative and groundbreaking auction to prioritize bids for high-speed, low-latency services to deliver the best results for rural Americans, and the results show that this strategy worked. This auction was the Commission’s single largest step ever taken toward delivering digital opportunity to every American and is another key success in our ongoing commitment to universal service.”

Among the winning bidders, number of locations to be served and total support for a 10-year period:

• Bollinger County: CCO Holdings LLC (Charter Communications), 4,089, $1,398,932; Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium, 163, $205,806
• Cape Girardeau County: CCO Holdings LLC (Charter Communications), 2,756, $1,988,466; LTD Broadband LLC, 12, $2,406; Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium, 270, $253,487
• Perry County: Aptitude Internet LLC, 2, $486; CCO Holdings LLC (Charter Communications), 1,541, $703,849
• Scott County: LTD Broadband LLC, 4, $2,382; Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium, 1,788, $2,182,335
• Stoddard County: LTD Broadband LLC, 1,468, $3,887,137; Mercury Wireless Inc., 210, $123,360; Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium, 1,231, $2,330,841.

In total, the value of the winning bids throughout Missouri was $346 million.