FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PSC PREPARES FOR 2024 REVERSE AUCTION
Lincoln, November 21, 2023- The Nebraska Public Service
Commission (PSC) will release a list of areas available for bid as
well as starting prices for bidding units for its upcoming 2024
Reverse Auction (NUSF-131/P.O.2). Funds utilized in the Reverse
Auction are made available through the redistribution of Nebraska
Universal Service Fund (NUSF) support.
Beginning in January, the 2024 NUSF Reverse Auction will seek to
provide broadband capable voice service to rural areas where
telecommunication carriers Frontier and Windstream have
traditionally provided only voice service. More than $21 million in
NUSF support that was either unused or withheld from the two
companies will be available in the 2024 proceeding.
Interested providers are encouraged to complete a pre-auction
application form. The form can be found and downloaded on the
Reverse Auction NUSF-131 page of the PSC website.
A reverse auction begins with an established starting price for each
bidding unit, with the winning bidder required to provide service of at
least 100 megabits per second up and down to select areas. During
successive rounds of the auction the price for the bidding unit is
lowered until there is a winning bidder. Bidding ends when there is
one bidder remaining for any given bidding unit, and the overall bids
for areas are under the $21 million available budget.
A list of available areas and starting prices will be posted on the
Reverse Auction NUSF-131 page by Wednesday, November 22. ###
Contact:
Deb Collins- Communications & Media Mgr.
(402) 471-0226
deb.collins@nebraska.gov
