US telco CenturyLink has announced that it will roll out broadband networks connecting approximately 1.2 million rural households and businesses in 33 states, after accepting approximately USD500 million a year for six years from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)‘s Connect America Fund (CAF). CenturyLink is accepting 33 CAF Phase II state-wide offers from the FCC to bring internet service with speeds of at least 10Mbps/1Mbps (down/uplink) to locations in FCC-designated, high-cost census blocks. Once CenturyLink’s CAF Phase II six-year build-out plan is finalised over the coming months, construction is expected to begin in early 2016. Meanwhile, the telco opted to decline the CAF II state-wide offers relating to California, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Wyoming.