E-Rate for FY 2022:
Wave 10 for FY 2022 was issued on Thursday, June 23rd, for $82.8 million. Cumulative commitments to date are $1.88 billion. Nationwide, USAC has funded 89.2% of the FY 2022 applications representing 60.5% of the requested funding.
E-Rate for FY 2021:
There was no additional funding for FY 2021 last week. As of Wave 57, commitments for FY 2021 stand at $2.64 billion. Nationwide, USAC has funded 98.8% of the FY 2021 applications representing 95.8% of the requested funding.
ECF for 2021-2023:
There was no additional ECF funding last week. As of the most recent ECF waves — Wave 16 for ECF-1 and ECF-2 applications and Wave 1 for ECF-3 applications — total commitments are $5.14 billion. Nationwide, USAC has funded 63.6% of applications filed in all three ECF windows. Authorized disbursements as of last weekend totaled $1.31 billion.
Congressional Initiative to Increase ECF Funding:
With ECF funding currently capped at $7.15 billion, insufficient to fund all applications submitted in the third window, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Representative Grace Meng (D-NY) sent a letter to the Democratic leadership (Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.)) last week urging support to secure additional ECF funding. Although the letter was partisan, it does indicate broad support for a much-needed expansion of the ECF program. The letter was cosigned by twenty-two other Democratic senators and forty-four other Democratic representatives. We encourage schools and libraries to write their Congressional representatives — Democratic or Republican — in support of this effort.