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Back to Glossary of Digital Infrastructure Terms

Connect America Fund

Also Known As: CAF

The Connect America Fund was unveiled in 2011 as part of the Universal Service Fund, redesigned to help fund Internet infrastructure in the nation’s high-cost areas. CAF put a new emphasis on Internet service.

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Related Digital Infrastructure Terms

High Cost Area

Internet Service Provider

Low-Cost Broadband Service Option

Digital Infrastructure Terms

63-20 Financing

ACP Administrative Expenses Aerial Deployment Aerial Installation Application Model Area Challenge Module ARPA ARPU Assassin's Maces Assassin's Maces (杀手锏, Shashoujian)Asymmetric

BABA Whitelist Compliant Equipment Backhaul Bandwidth BEAD Grant Cybersecurity Requirements BEAD Program BEAD Timelines BIP Bit Blended Domains Broadband Broadband Audit Broadband DATA Act Broadband DATA Maps Broadband Feasibility Study Broadband Service Provider Broadband Serviceable Locations BTOP Bulk Fabric Challenge Buried Fiber Deployment

CableCAFCAI Capex Capital Projects Program Capital Stack CBG Census Block Challenge Process CMC Pilot Program Co-op Coax Common Stock Communications Act of 1934 Community Development Financial Institution Community Reinvestment Act Conduit Financing Connectivity Profile Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 Content Provider CPE

Data Packet Davis-Bacon Act (for BEAD)Debt/EBITDA Digital Divide Digital Equity Act Programs Digital Inclusion Digital Infrastructure DPP DSL DSRC

EBITDA EBITDA Margin Economic Development Incentive Eligible Community Anchor Institution Eligible Entity Ethernet Cable EV

Fabric FCC Feasibility Study Fiber Fiber to the Home Fiber to the home/premises/curb/node Final Proposal Formula Grant FRN FTTC FTTH FTTN FTTP

GAN GO Bond Grant Adjusted YOC Grant Revenue Anticipation Notes Gross Profit Margin Ground Deployment Guaranteed Bank Loan

High Cost Area

ILEC In-kind Matching Funds Indian Tribe Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act Initial Funding Availability Initial Proposal Internet Exchange Facility Internet Protocol IRBs IRU ISP

Kessler Cascade

Last Mile Legal Expenses Letter of Credit Limited-Tax General Obligation Pledge Loan LOC Local Coordination Low-Cost Broadband Service Option

Make Ready Work Match Funding Matching Funds for BEAD Grants MDU Challenge Module Mezz Debt Middle Mile Millimeter Wave Mobile Monitoring, Reporting and Performance Management Multi-Dwelling Unit Multi-Modal Network Muni Bond

Native American Native Entity Net Working Capital Network Node Nielsen’s Law of Internet Bandwidth NOFO NTIA

OLT ONT Outside Plant

Packet Loss Peering and Transit Agreements Performance Bonds for BEAD Grants Ping Point to Point PPP Preferred Equity Private Activity Bonds Project Finance

RDOF ReConnect RECs Reliability Reliable Broadband Service Request for Initial Planning Funds Resilient Digital Infrastructure Revenue Bond Revolver Rural Utility Service

SAFE Satellite Internet Secondary Addresses Secured Debt Security Senior Debt Shareholders’ Equity Speed Speed Test Module State Strategic (High Altitude) EMP Subgrantee Subgrantee Selection Subordinated Debenture Subsidiarity Symmetric

Tactical (Close Range) EMP Take Rate Tax-Exempt Debt Taxable Debt Telecommunications Act of 1996 The Good. The BEAD. The Ugly.Tier 1, 2, 3 Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Tribal Data Sovereignty Tribal Government Tribal Land Trust Land

Underserved Underserved Service Project Universal Service Fund Unlevered Returns Unlimited-Tax General Obligation Pledge Unsecured Debt Unserved community Unserved Service Project Upload and download USS Utility

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Router Wireless

YOC