The Federal Communications Commission has formally established rules for its 5G Fund for Rural America, which will disburse up to $9 billion over the next decade. However, the minimum speeds that the agency is requiring of these future rural 5G networks are only a marginal improvement over what the agency currently considers “broadband,” and are nowhere near the blazing-fast 5G speeds that are already becoming available in some urban areas.
The vote was split along party lines, with all three Republican commissioners approving the measure and the two Democrats approving in part and dissenting in part.
