April 28, 2025

In This Week's Issue

Funding Status
- E-Rate for FY 2025 – Wave 1 Released
- E-Rate for FY 2024
- Cybersecurity Pilot Program – Application Window
Updates and Reminders
- Upcoming Dates
- FTC Updates COPPA

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In This Week's Issue

Funding Status
- E-Rate for FY 2025 – Wave 1 Released
- E-Rate for FY 2024
- Cybersecurity Pilot Program – Application Window
Updates and Reminders
- Upcoming Dates
- FTC Updates COPPA

Subscribe to News of the Week

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April 28, 2025

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.

Funding Status

E-Rate for FY 2025 – Wave 1 Released:

Wave 1 of funding commitment decision letters for FY 2025 was released early Saturday morning, April 26th, for a total of $981 million. This is slightly higher than the first wave for FY 2024 and represents just over half the applications filed (including out-of-window applications filed within two weeks of the March 26th window close). Nice job USAC!

E-Rate for FY 2024

Wave 53 for FY 2024 was released on Thursday, April 24th, for $12.6 million. Total funding is now $2.67 billion. Currently, USAC has funded 98.4% of submitted applications, representing 92.6% of the dollars requested.

Cybersecurity Pilot Program – Application Window:

The Form 471 application window for the Cybersecurity Pilot Program opened on March 18th and will close on September 15th, 2025. Total pilot funding is capped at $200 million for 707 applicants.

Updates and Reminders

Upcoming Dates:

April 28	Reply comments due on the FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative.
April 30	The Senate Commerce Committee is set to vote on the nomination of Olivia Trusty to be the third Republican FCC Commissioner.
May 2	FY 2024 Form 486 deadline for Wave 37. The Form 486 deadline is 120 days after the FCDL date, or the service start date (typically July 1st), whichever is later. The next Form 486 deadlines for FY 2024 are: Wave 38 05/09/2025 Wave 39 05/16/2025 Wave 40 05/23/2025 Wave 41 05/30/2025
May 15	USAC’s Beginning E-Rate Services Webinar (Register).
May 28	Extended invoice deadline for FY 2023 non-recurring service FRNs with approved extensions beyond the original January 28, 2025, deadline.
June 30	Last day to light fiber (or request a service delivery deadline extension) for FY 2024 special construction projects.
June 30	Last day to receive (or file service substitutions for) FY 2024 recurring services.
July 1	Withdrawal deadline for Cybersecurity Pilot participants opting not to continue in the Program.
August 18	Last day to certify a CBR Form 470 in order to meet the minimum 28-day posting period before filing the CBR Form 471.
September 15	Close of the Cybersecurity Pilot Form 471 application window and deadline for filing the Form 484 Part 2.

FTC Updates COPPA:

As laid out in detail in the Federal Register last week, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has adopted amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). The updates, largely clarifications of definitions, are intended to strengthen the protection of personal information collected online from young children and are in response to changes in technologies and online practices since COPPA was last amended in 2013. The revised COPPA rules become effective June 23, 2025.

COPPA has no direct effect on schools and libraries but can be considered as a companion set of regulations to the FCC’s Children’s Internet Protection Act (“CIPA”) requirements under E-Rate. Most broadly, COPPA regulations are designed to protect the online privacy of children under 13 by requiring businesses to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing their personal information. The rules require companies to post a privacy policy, provide direct notice to parents, and implement security measures to safeguard children’s data.