CenturyLink gets $35 million FCC grant to connect 45,000 rural homes to the internet (updated)

CenturyLink has announced that it's getting $35 million from the FCC's Connect America Fund to hook 45,000 homes in rural areas up to the internet. The company isn't hiding its disappointment at the donation, since it was originally angling for closer to $90 million. However, the conditions attached to the extra cash made further deployment "uneconomic," so the company will have to settle at this first target to begin with. There is some hope for countryside folk: CenturyLink mavens have filed a waiver application which, if granted, would let the company connect a further 60,000 homes where service is currently too expensive to install.

Update: The FCC has made its own announcement, pledging that it'll connect up to 400,000 unconnected citizens in the next three years and up to seven million in six. The full text is after the jump.

Continue reading CenturyLink gets $35 million FCC grant to connect 45,000 rural homes to the internet (updated)

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CenturyLink gets $35 million FCC grant to connect 45,000 rural homes to the internet (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.