The federal Schools and Libraries Universal Service Program, known as E-Rate, provides up to an annual $4.15B in federal funding to make advanced communications and information services, Internet access, internal connections, and managed internal broadband services accessible and affordable to schools and libraries across our nation.

The COVID-19 pandemic closed thousands of schools across the nation, and forced millions of teachers, students, and school administrators to adapt to remote learning approaches. The already challenging “Homework Gap” – capturing the challenges schoolchildren face in completing assignments without a broadband connection at home – widened to a chasm that separated them from core teaching and learning opportunities formerly offered in the classroom. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 created the $7.2 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund to help meet the demands of these new models, including to ensure that all students have access to affordable and robust broadband connections and the devices necessary to participate. The FCC is now working to implement these changes, even as it looks for additional opportunities to reinvent its existing E-rate mechanisms to meet these ongoing challenges.

The Broadband Law Group was founded by the former Director of Service Provider Support at the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) Schools and Libraries Division with over 30 years of expertise in technology, communications, corporate law, and litigation.

We can help advocate to shape rules and policies that govern these programs, and provide actionable recommendations on compliance strategies, processes, and appeals. We draw on decades of crosscutting experience and unique expertise in federal technology program compliance.

We can quickly identify the issues in appeals and audits that matter to FCC and USAC officials, Office of Inspector General investigators, and independent auditors.

Let the experts at BBLG help you navigate the complexities of the Program.