The FCC voted last year to add more money to the program and adjust its formula for allocating such funds to make it more efficient and reduce fraud and abuse. "Launched in 1997, the fund was designed to finance broadband expansion in rural regions and other parts of the country where online connectivity is weak," Wicklund reports. "The fund included a $400 million annual cap, but the agency voted last year to change that cap and add $171 million to match a surge in requests for support."
The decision wasn't unanimous: all three Republican commissioners voted for the changes, but the two Democrats voted against it. "Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks, while both approving the plan, also offered dissenting comments. Both said the agency’s plan to create new methods for determining and prioritizing funding requests could end up doing more harm than good for rural healthcare providers," Wicklund reports.
from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2MEz07v FCC adjusts rural health program to boost telehealth; Dem commissioners say changes could hurt rural providers - Entrepreneur Generations
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