FCC proposes fines against 73 applicants of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

The FCC proposes $4,353,773.87 in total fines against 73 applicants in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I Auction (Auction 904) that defaulted on their bids for support between July 26, 2021, and March 10, 2022.

[...]
The objective of Auction 904 was to facilitate the provision of broadband
service to Americans in wholly unserved areas.

Applicant Name
AMG Technology Investment Group, LLC
Aspire Networks 2, LLC
Bright House Networks Information Services (Florida), LLC
BroadLife Communications, Inc.
Central Scott Telephone Company, Inc.
Charter Fiberlink - Alabama, LLC
Charter Fiberlink - Georgia, LLC
Charter Fiberlink - Michigan, LLC
Charter Fiberlink - Missouri, LLC
Charter Fiberlink - Tennessee, LLC
Charter Fiberlink CCO, LLC
Charter Fiberlink VA-CCO, LLC
City of Farmington
Cogeco US (Delmar), LLC
Commnet Wireless, LLC
Computer Techniques, Inc. dba CTI Fiber
Conexon Connect LLC
Consolidated Fiber, Inc.
Cooperative Connect, Inc.
Delta Communications, L.L.C.
Direct Communications Rockland, Inc
Edisto Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Effective Systems Fiber Network, LLC
Foursight Communications LLC, dba Trilight
Great Plains Communications LLC
Gtek Computers & Wireless L.L.C.
Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative, Inc.
HolstonConnect LLC
HomeTown Broadband, Inc.
Horry Telephone Cooperative, Inc.
Hotwire Communications, Ltd
iZone Broadband LLC.
KanOkla Telephone Association
Licking Rural Electrification
LTD Broadband LLC
Lynches River Communications Inc
MCC Network Services, LLC
Mountain West Technologies Corporation
NEXT, Powered by NAEC, LLC
NexTier Consortium
NMSURF, Inc.
NW Fiber, LLC
OEConnect, LLC
One Ring Networks, Inc
Palmetto Link, LLC
PIERCE PEPIN COOPERATIVE SERVICES
QCOL, Inc.
Redzone Wireless, LLC
RiverStreet Communications of North Carolina, Inc.
RiverStreet Communications of Virginia, Inc.
Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium
Shelby Fiber, LLC
Snake River Solutions, LLC
South Central Power, Inc.
STEUBEN COUNTY RURAL ELECTRIC MEMERSHIP
SW Arkansas Telecommunications & Technology, Inc.
Talkie Communications, Inc.
Tennessee Valley Electric Cooperative
The Seimitsu Corporation
Time Warner Cable Information Services (California), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (Indiana), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (Kentucky), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (Massachusetts), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (New Hampshire), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (North Carolina), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (Ohio), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (Pennsylvania), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (South Carolina), LLC
Time Warner Cable Information Services (Texas), LLC
United Services, Inc.
WC Fiber, LLC
Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation
Wood County Telephone Company d/b/a Solarus
YAZOO VALLEY ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION
yondoo Broadband LLC

The overwhelming majority of the penalties were in the 4 and low 5
figures -- pocket change for a network business. The exceptions were:

LTD Broadband LLC Kansas and Oklahoma $2.3M
Time Warner Cable Information Services (Indiana), $276k
Time Warner Cable Information Services (South Carolina) $276k
Charter Fiberlink – Tennessee $231k
RiverStreet Communications of Virginia, Inc North Carolina $117k

Regards,
Bill Herrin

Once upon a time, William Herrin <bill@herrin.us> said:

The overwhelming majority of the penalties were in the 4 and low 5
figures -- pocket change for a network business. The exceptions were:

Some of these companies are very small rural outfits, where a 5 figure
fine isn't exactly pocket change.

I wonder how the supply chain issues are affecting this. I know a rural
electric company that had a (just before pre-RDOF) grant for setting up
Internet that couldn't get the routers they'd ordered and paid for; they
were back-ordered for months. They had to scramble and get loaners out
of a reseller's demo pool to meet their grant timeline requirements.

What % of fines does FCC successfully collect, vs what they issue?

-Dan