On September 16, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission just announced the opening of a second funding year 2020 filing window to allow schools to request additional E-Rate funding specifically to address increased on-campus bandwidth needs.
During this second filing window, schools will be able to purchase additional bandwidth for this academic year to address needs resulting from the increasing shift to 1:1 student-to-device ratios in classrooms, live streaming of classroom instruction to students at home, and expanding use of cloud-based educational tools and platforms—all of which can significantly increase on-campus bandwidth requirements. The second filing window will open upon publication of the Order in the Federal Register and close on October 16, 2020.
Limited Eligible Services
During this second funding year 2020 application window, schools may only request E-Rate discounts for additional on-campus category one Internet access and/or data transmission services needed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, subject to the following conditions:
- Already sought bids for the services by posting an FCC Form 470.
- Received a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) from USAC approving a funding year 2020 funding request for eligible Category One Internet access and/or data transmission services that relied on that FCC Form 470, or has such a funding request pending.
- Requests additional E-Rate discounts during the second application window to purchase additional bandwidth through the existing service provider or a new one.
Funding commitments resulting from this second funding year 2020 application window will also be limited to a price per megabit that is the same or less than the original contract.
If you have already purchased additional bandwidth, or need to do so, due to increased demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact us immediately to see if you can benefit from this limited application window.
Click on the image to the right to view the Order.
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