Nearly $2 Billion Dollars Remain Available to Public Educational Institutions from FCC's Emergency Connectivity Fund
In view of outstanding demand and the recent spike in coronavirus cases, the FCC announced in a press release today that they will open a second application filing window for schools and libraries to request funding from the roughly $2 billion in program funds remaining for connected devices and broadband connections for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons for the current 2021-22 school year. The second application filing window will open on September 28 and run until October 13. Eligible schools and libraries will be able to apply for financial support for eligible equipment and services received or delivered between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 for students, school staff and library patrons with unmet needs.
Today the FCC also announced that requests for $5.137 billion in funding to support 9.1 million connected devices and 5.4 million broadband connections were received during the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program’s initial application filing window. The window, which closed August 13, 2021, attracted applicants 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 seeking funding for eligible equipment and services received or delivered between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
We appreciate your interest in the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program and look forward to your ongoing engagement as we work together to close the Homework Gap!
Coming Soon
Service providers will have access to the ECF Portal through their OnePortal dashboard. They will be able to see any funding requests that they are associated with through the ECF Portal. Applicants and service providers who agree to invoice on behalf of applicants will also use the ECF Portal to submit requests for reimbursement (i.e., FCC Forms 472 or 474) for the ECF Program.
Need Help?
Applicants and service providers can contact the Emergency Connectivity Fund Customer Support Center (CSC) with questions at (800) 234-9781 Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. or submit a case in the ECF Portal.
Emergency Connectivity Fund FAQs
How long will it take to hear back about my application?
Will I have visibility in the ECF portal for the committed version of my application?
I was unable to certify my application prior to the deadline on August 13, 2021, but I still want to get reimbursed – is there anything I can do?
File and certify the ECF FCC Form 471 as soon as possible, if you have not already. You will receive a notification that your form was filed outside of the filing window.
ECF FCC Forms 471 certified after the close of the application filing window will be put in an out-of-window status and will not be reviewed by USAC. The applicant must request – and FCC must grant – a waiver of the application filing window deadline for USAC to be able to move these applications to an in-window filing status.
Note that USAC cannot approve an appeal or waiver request that asks for a waiver of the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program rules—you must file a request for waiver with the FCC.
Detailed instructions on how to request a waiver from the FCC can be found by clicking here.
You must file your waiver within 30 days of the date when USAC issued the out-of-window status notification. The FCC will consider electronic appeals as filed on a business day if they are received before 11:59 p.m. ET. If you have questions or comments about using the Commission’s electronic comment filing system (ECFS), please contact the FCC directly at (202) 418-0193.
Will application and pricing information be made available through USAC’s Open Data platform?
If the service provider is invoicing on behalf of the applicant, does it need a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) for ECF?
Yes.
Can applicants change the make or model of their equipment after they file their applications?
Does an applicant using SPI invoicing need to register with SAM.gov?
No, applicants who are only using service providers who will file invoices on their behalf for ECF reimbursement (SPI invoicing) are not required to register in SAM.gov.
For More Information
More detail on the Program is available in the FCC Order that established the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program. To learn more, please visit EmergencyConnectivityFund.org and sign up for Emergency Connectivity Fund program emails.
Contact USAT
If you need help procuring cellular devices for in-home, in-school, or in-vehicle use, please don't hesitate to contact us via one of the three methods below.
For More Information:
- Give Us a Call: (919) 942-4214
- Send Us an Email: info@usatcorp.com
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