USAC Emergency Connectivity Fund Third Round to Open April 28
The USAC has announced that a third window to apply for Emergency Connectivity Funds will open on April 28, 2022. These funds can be used to purchase devices from Tech to School.
From the USAC:
- A third ECF application filing window will open on April 28, 2022 and close on May 13, 2022. During this third application filing window, eligible schools, libraries, and consortia of eligible schools and libraries can submit requests for funding to purchase eligible equipment and up to 12 months of services between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023.
The USAC will open the third application filing window to provide support for the current school year in light of outstanding demand, including applications that were filed after the close of the initial application filing window, and resource challenges some schools faced with a summertime application filing window. Moreover, the rise of the Delta variant means off-campus connectivity remains vital to ensuring students, school staff, and library patrons can engage in remote learning as they face challenges and uncertainty amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
During the third application filing window, which will run from April 28 to May 13, eligible schools and libraries can apply for financial support to purchase eligible equipment and services for students, school staff and library patrons with unmet needs. The acting Chairwoman has long made closing the Homework Gap a priority during her tenure at the Commission. Recent estimates suggest there may be as many as 17 million children struggling without the broadband access they need to fully engage in remote learning.
For the first application filing window, the USCA set a target to review and issue decisions for 50% of workable applications within 60 days of the close of the application filing window and 70% of workable applications within 100 days of the close of the application filing window. The funding is available for the purchase of laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connections for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons in need, and is available to support off-campus leaning, such as homework, even if schools have returned to full time in-person instruction.
More information on the Emergency Connectivity Fund program is available at:
https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org
The program is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company, with oversight from and under rules unanimously adopted by the Federal Communications Commission.