FCC Opens Second Filing Window For Emergency Connectivity Fund, Schools and Libraries Have 15 Days to Apply

From the Federal Communications Commission:

Today, FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel  announced the opening of the second application filing window for the $7.17 billion  Emergency Connectivity Fund, the agency’s latest effort to connect students and library patrons with the equipment and broadband connections they need in the modern era. From  September 28 to October 13, eligible schools and libraries can submit requests for funding to  purchase eligible equipment and services received or delivered between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. The funding can be used to purchase laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connections to serve unmet needs for off-premises use by students, school staff, and library patrons.

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The FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund, established by the American Rescue Plan of 2021, will help provide relief to millions of students, school staff, and library patrons and help close the Homework Gap for students who currently lack necessary internet access or the devices they need to connect to classrooms. The FCC in May adopted the Report and Order outlining how the program would be administered. The first application filing window, which ran from June 29 to August 13, attracted requests for $5.137 billion to fund 9.1 million connected devices and 5.4 million broadband connections. Applications came from all 50 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia – including schools and libraries in both rural and urban communities.

On September 24, the FCC announced the first funding wave in the program committing over $1.2 billion to connect over 3.6 million students. Additional funding commitments will be made on a rolling basis in the coming weeks.

You can find  more information about the program at www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org or
www.fcc.gov/emergency-connectivity-fund and instructions on how to apply at
www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/application-process.

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users