Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will start auction in 2018 to expand rural broadband in remote areas of America.

FCC has identified the locations of nearly 1 million homes and small businesses in 48 states that are eligible for up to $2 billion in support for broadband deployment over the next decade.

FCC’s Connect America Fund will distribute up to $2 billion in support to companies that successfully compete in an innovative auction to deploy robust broadband at the lowest cost in these unserved rural areas across the country.

“Closing the digital divide is my number one priority, and through this innovative Connect America Fund auction, we are poised to take the next big step in reaching that goal,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

Rural broadband is expected to deliver 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speed.  The auction’s use of competitive market forces maximizes the value the American people will receive from the Connect America Fund by balancing deployment of higher-quality services with cost efficiencies.

Since 2011, the FCC has targeted over $9 billion in support for rural broadband expansion to over 4 million homes and small businesses from its Connect America Fund.