The Stars Align In Solving the E-rate Homework Gap: ARPA Provides $7.1B to the Emergency Connectivity Fund
Eleven years after the FCC issued the National Broadband Plan and ten years after the FCC issued a Pilot Program to test E-rate funding beyond school walls, the stars are finally beginning to align. On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) appropriating a significant and […]
Key E-Rate Stakeholders Ask the FCC to Rule a Classroom Is Where the Student Learns
On January 26, 2021, SHLB, COSN, SECA and other key E-rate stakeholders filed a Petition for a Declaratory Ruling asking the FCC to find that E-rate funding is eligible outside of the traditional on-campus classroom. Specifically, the Petition seeks E-rate funding to allow our nation’s schools and libraries to procure Internet connectivity equipment, and devices […]
The FCC Commission Takes a Welcome Step Forward for High Speed Broadband Networks and Competition in the E-rate Program
E-rate stakeholders, including the Illinois Office of Governor, Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology and the Schools, Libraries & Healthcare Broadband Coalition (SHLB), applauded the Commission’s recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), released January 31, 2019, seeking public comment and additional data on making the suspension of the current E-rate amortization policy permanent. In the […]
SCHOOLS, HEALTH, LIBRARIES BROADBAND (SHLB) COALITION’S 8TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
I’m excited to share I’ll be speaking next week on FCC E-rate Appeals and Compliance at the @SHLBCoalition’s 8th Annual Conference to be held on October 10-12, 2018 in Washington, D.C.: #BitxBit18! Join me and my fellow panelists, Cathy Cruzan, President of Funds for Learning, and Rich Cameron, Cameron Law & Policy, as we delve […]
What’s Trending In E-Rate in 2018: Is the 2014 FCC Goal of Simplifying the E-Rate Program Being Met?
Every year Funds for Learning (FFL), one of the most preeminent consultants to applicants in the FCC’s E-Rate Program, issues its informative and highly regarded FFL 2018 E-Rate Trend Report (FLL Report) by collecting data and comments and identifying trends gathered from survey responses from over 1000 applicants. Every E-rate stakeholder should at least take […]
FCC Chairman Pai Supports Much Needed $171M Increase in Rural Health Care Program Funding
Today, FCC Chairman Pai took a positive step in serving our nation’s rural health care providers (HCPs) by seeking an increase in the current Rural Health Care Program funding by $171M. The current Program is capped at an annual rate of $400M, which has not been indexed to inflation since the cap was set in […]
Change in USAC Rural Health Care Program Leadership: New VP of RHC Starts Monday
Karen Lee, the current VP of the Rural Healthcare Program will be departing USAC to pursue other opportuntities. Mark Sweeney, the current Chief Administrative Offier at USAC will be stepping into that role, effective Monday, June 18, 2018.