FCC plans $9 bn 5G Fund for rural America

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced plans to set up $9 billion 5G Fund assisting carriers to deploy 5G mobile wireless services in rural America.
“This major investment in rural America would be allocated through a reverse auction and would target rural areas.  The $9 billion Fund would set aside at least $1 billion specifically for deployments facilitating precision agriculture needs,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said.

The 5G Fund would replace the planned Mobility Fund Phase II, which would have provided federal support for 4G LTE service in unserved areas. Pursuant to the Mobility Fund Phase II rules, wireless providers were required to submit 4G LTE coverage data in order to help the Commission target federal subsidies to unserved parts of the country.