News of the Week

Wave 14 for FY 2021 was released on Thursday, July 15th, for a total of $60.9 million.  Cumulative commitments are $1.62 billion.  Nationwide, USAC has now funded 84% of the FY 2021 applications representing 55% of the requested funding.

The 2021-2022 application window for the Emergency Connectivity Fund (“ECF”) opened June 29th and will close August 13th.

For many years, USAC has routinely published Schools and Libraries News Briefs on Fridays covering a variety of E-rate matters.  The new Emergency Connectivity Fund (“ECF”) uses aspects of the traditional E-rate process but is considered a semi-autonomous program by USAC and is generally not covered in Friday’s News Briefs.  As an alternative, USAC began issuing weekly Emergency Connectivity Fund Program Newsletters on Tuesdays.  For those interested in ECF, separate subscriptions to these ECF newsletters are required.  So far, USAC has issued the following three newsletters:

To date, when USAC’s ECF newsletter covers program FAQs, the information is derived directly from the FAQs published and updated online in the form of a master ECF FAQ list by the FCC.  This list is updated on an ad hoc basis with new or edited FAQs designated with an asterisk.

Two of the more interesting ECF FAQs added by the FCC (as of July 2nd), and reported in last Tuesday’s USAC newsletter are:

The other FAQs covered in USAC’s July 13th ECF newsletter are:

• Do you need to participate in E-rate to participate in the ECF program?  Short answer: No, but you must be an E-rate eligible entity.
• Can applicants pay upfront and seek support for multiyear contracts in the first application window?  Short answer: No.
• What if an applicant previously signed a multiyear contract (that included this coming school year)?  Can they apply for service for this coming year from the preexisting contract?  Short answer: Yes.
• Are fees for unreturned leased equipment eligible for ECF support?  Short answer: No.
• If a school district provides personal Wi-Fi hotspots and broadband service to a percentage of unserved students for home use, and if the school district also applies for Wi-Fi hotspots on school buses, is this considered to be a duplicative service?  Short answer: No.
• If a school reopens, and students and school staff are attending school in person, is off-campus equipment or service for that student or teacher still eligible for ECF support?  Short answer: Yes.

Upcoming E-Rate Dates:

USAC’s Schools and Libraries News Brief of July 16, 2021, reviews the process for gaining access into USAC’s One Portal system so as to use the E-Rate Productivity Center (“EPC”), the BEAR Form system, or the new Emergency Connectivity Fund (“ECF”) portal.  It discusses the following steps a first-time user must take to:

• Set up your credentials in One Portal.
• Verify that you can receive a USAC email.
• Review the requirements for your password.
• Act quickly when you receive your verification code.
• Check your entitlements.
• Accept your EPC user terms and conditions.
• Ask for assistance if you need it by calling the Client Service Bureau at 888-203-8100.