E-Rate for FY 2023:
USAC issued Wave 5 for FY 2023 on Thursday, May 25th, for $65.6 million including $1.89 million for forty New York applicants. Total funding after five waves is $1.26 billion including $156 million for New York. At this point, USAC has already funded 74.1% of the originally submitted applications representing 42.0% of the dollars requested.
ECF for 2021-2023:
Wave 25 for Window 3 was issued on Wednesday, May 24th, for $12.1 million including $25.6 thousand for four New York applicants. Total commitments for all three ECF windows are $6.68 billion including $784 million for New York. Nationwide, USAC has funded approximately 88% of the ECF applications representing 68% of the requested funding. Window 3 applications are now being funded down to the 60% urban band.
ECF applicants, that have not yet been funded, should pay close attention to the Federal debt ceiling discussions this coming week. Without knowing all the details of the “agreement in principle” announced over the weekend, one possible action being discussed under a proposed “Default on America Act” (see analysis) would be to immediately rescind all unobligated balances from accounts provided in portions of six laws known as the “COVID relief laws.” Should such action be taken, as yet unobligated ECF funds could be cancelled.