The Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF), also called Auction 904, is an FCC program aimed at strengthening broadband access in rural areas by awarding funds to internet service providers. It was first
proposed in August 2019 and
established in January 2020. The RDOF will disburse $20.4 billion in two phases. Phase I, intended to fund broadband expansion in areas entirely without broadband access, began on October 29, 2020 and ended December 25, 2020. Phase II will cover areas with limited access as well as areas that did not receive funding during Phase I. Both phases use a reverse auction format in which providers compete against one another to bid the lowest amount they are willing to be paid to provide service.
This layer contains all census blocks in the United States where a winning bidder has been authorized to receive funding under RDOF Phase I by May 03, 2022. The FCC reviewed and accepted the long-form applications for funded entities earlier this year. Authorized service providers will receive funds from the FCC-affiliated Universal Service Fund (USF) over the next ten years in equal monthly installments, with the goal of providing broadband to 100% of a predetermined quantity of unserved homes and businesses in the area by the end of 2027. For additional details, please refer to the
Fact Sheet.
| Percentage of Locations in a State | Service Milestone Deadline |
| 40 | December 31, 2024 |
| 60 | December 31, 2025 |
| 80 | December 31, 2026 |
| 100 | December 31, 2027 |
Field Names
- Applicant: The company or public entity applying for RDOF funding
- SAC: Service Area Code
- State: State in which the census block is located
Additional Resources