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March 14, 2022

Introduction

The E-Rate Central News for the Week is prepared by E-Rate Central. E-Rate Central specializes in providing consulting, compliance, and forms processing services to E-rate applicants. To learn more about our services, please contact us by phone (516-801-7804), fax (516-801-7810), or through our Contact Us web form. Additional E-rate information is located on the E-Rate Central website.

The FY 2022 Form 471 Application Window will close on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.  February 22nd was the last possible day to file a Form 470 for FY 2022 and still meet the required 28-day posting requirement.

E-Rate:

Wave 48 for FY 2021 was released on Thursday, March 10th,  for $13.3 million. Cumulative commitments are now $2.62 billion.  Nationwide, USAC has funded 98.5% of the FY 2021 applications representing 93.9% of the requested funding.

ECF:

Wave 11 was released on March 7th for $84.7 million. Cumulative ECF commitments are now $4.69 billion. Nationwide, USAC has funded 88.6% of filed applications.  Authorized disbursements as of last Friday totaled $420 million.

Upcoming Dates:

March 16 FCC comments due on the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) (FCC 22-2).  Reply comments are due April 15th.  See FCC Public Notice (DA 22-152).

E-Rate Central and Westhab, the largest non-profit provider of affordable housing and support services in Westchester County, NY, jointly  filed early ACP comments proposing Pilot Programs for better administrating ACP discounts for low-income housing complexes and homeless shelters.
March 18 Form 486 deadline for FY 2021 covering funding committed in Wave 32.  More generally, the Form 486 deadline is 120 days from the FCDL date or from the service start date (typically July 1st), whichever is later.  Upcoming Form 486 deadlines are:
Wave 33            03/24/2022
Wave 34            04/01/2022
Wave 35            04/08/2022
Wave 36            04/15/2022
March 22     FY 2022 Form 471 Application Filing Window closes at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
March 28 FCC comments due on the FCC’s proposal to create an E-rate competitive bidding portal (FCC 21-124).  Reply comments are due April 27th.
May 26  A motion to extend these comment deadlines by 30 days has been filed by SECA and other national school and library organizations.

Extended FY 2022 application deadline for new Tribal libraries (see DA 22-132).

Extended FY 2022 Application Deadline for New Tribal Libraries:

Late last January, the FCC issued a Report and Order (FCC 22-08) updating the definition of a “library” and clarifying that Tribal libraries are eligible for E-rate support (see our newsletter of January 31st).  Last week, responding to a waiver request by the Alaska Federation of Natives, the FCC issued an Order (DA 22-231) directing USAC to treat as timely all FY 2022 applications that include new Tribal libraries that are filed within 65 days of the regular March 22nd filing deadline.  The FCC also indicated that Tribal libraries that have not applied since FY 2016 will be treated as new Tribal library entities.  For eligible tribal libraries, this will extend the FY 2022 application window to May 26th.

USAC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund Program Newsletter of March 8, 2022, repeats the information from last week’s newsletter.

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