October 11, 2022
Extended Delivery Deadline for Certain FY2020/FY2021 Funding RequestsOn September 19th, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) issued an order (DA 22-976), extending some Funding Year (FY) 2020 and 2021 E-Rate service implementation deadlines. Specifically, WCB extended the service implementation deadline an additional one year from September 30, 2022 to September 30, 2023, due to global supply chain disruptions and delays that schools and libraries are facing regarding the FY2020 and FY2021 requests. This relief applies to only FY2020 and FY2021 non-recurring service funding requests that currently have September 30, 2022 as the service implementation deadline for these services. Note that this relief does not automatically extend an applicant’s contract end date (CED). If you are taking advantage of this extension and have any CEDs before the new service delivery deadline (SDD), your CED will need to be updated by filing an FCC Form 500 before invoicing. While applicants must extend their own contract end dates by filing an FCC Form 500, USAC is automatically updating the service delivery deadlines per the FCC order. Applicants can see their new SDD and CED, if applicable, in EPC or by using the FRN Status Tool in Open Data for any FRN. WCB declined to extend the service implementation deadline for the other FY2020 non-recurring service funding requests that had September 30, 2021 as the implementation deadline because these applicants should have asked for an extension of the deadline by September 30, 2021 if they needed more time. The Bureau also explained that the waiver standard was not met to grant a blanket waiver to all FY2020 non-recurring requests when the implementation deadline expired nearly one year ago for these FY2020 requests. If any of these applicants have special circumstances, they may file a waiver request with the FCC, but they will also need to justify why the waiver request is being submitted late. WCB Waives Rules for E-Rate and ECF Participants in Hurricanes Fiona’s and Ian’s Designated Affected Disaster AreasThe Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) waived certain E-Rate program rules in the wake of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. The orders, DA 22-998 released September 22, and DA 22-1063 released October 3, 2022, extend the following deadlines up to 150 calendar days from the effective date of the orders for applicants in the designated Affected Disaster Areas in Puerto Rico for Hurricane Fiona, and in Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina for Hurricane Ian.
The Bureau waived similar Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program rules in the aftermath of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. Specifically, the Bureau extended the following deadlines up to 150 calendar days from the effective date of the order for applicants in the designated Affected Disaster Areas in Puerto Rico for Hurricane Fiona and in Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina for Hurricane Ian.
The Bureau also waived the FCC’s document retention requirements for applicants and service providers in the Affected Disaster Areas whose documents were destroyed by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian subject to certification that the records were destroyed if asked for by USAC or the FCC. In addition, the Bureau also provided greater flexibility in requesting service or equipment substitutions. The Bureau waived the requirement that the substituted service or product to have the same functionality as the service or product that it is replacing for applicants located in the Affected Disaster Areas. Be sure to read the specific details and requirements in the FCC orders (DA 22-998 and DA 22-1063). |
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