News of the Week

Application Window: The Form 471 application window for FY 2025 opened January 15th, and will close on Wednesday, March 26th, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.  Last Wednesday, February 26th was the last date to submit and certify an FCC Form 470 and still wait the minimum 28-day period before submitting and certifying a FY 2025 Form 471 by March 26, 2025, the last date of the application filing window.  For additional information on the FY 2025 filing window, including training opportunities, see USAC’s E-Rate News Brief dated February 20th.

E-Rate for FY 2024:

Wave 45 for FY 2024 was released on Thursday, February 27th, for $30.4 million.  Total funding is now $2.62 billion.  Currently, USAC has funded 98.1% of the originally submitted applications, representing 90.3% of the dollars requested.

Cybersecurity Pilot Program – Application Window:

Application Window: The CBR Form 471 application window for the Cybersecurity Pilot Program opens March 18th and will close September 15th.  Total pilot funding is capped at $200 million for 707 applicants.

Upcoming Dates:

Supreme Court — Again — Rejects Review of NY Broadband Price Cap:

Last December, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review an affordable broadband internet service plan established by New York State for low-income consumers (see our newsletter of December 23, 2024).  The plan requires NY internet providers to offer qualifying low-income consumers basic internet service plans of either 25 Mbps for $15 per month or 200 Mbps for $20 per month.  The plan, first proposed in 2021, had been challenged by NY ISPs and their national associations who argued that only the FCC could regulate internet rates and who feared that NY’s plan, particularly with the demise of the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) would spread to other states.  With the Supreme Court declining to review the case, the NYS broadband cap took effect last January.

Last week, the Supreme Court again rejected a telecom industry bid to reverse the New York State law denying a rehearing request by several groups led by the New York State Telecommunications Association Inc.  It will now be interesting to see if other states move forward to adopt their own low-income internet plans.

Senate to Vote This Week to Void FCC Hotspot Order:

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said last week that he planned for the Senate to vote this week on a resolution to repeal the earlier FCC Order making hotspots eligible for E-Rate discounts.  As discussed in our newsletter of January 20th, this action would be taken under the auspices of the Congressional Review Act (“CRA”) that gives Congress the right to reverse certain actions taken by the previous administration.  Use of the CRA to kill hotspots requires a simple majority vote in both houses of Congress.  Even without Congressional action, a soon-to-be Republican majority on the FCC would be able to withdraw hotspot eligibility.