On March 18, 2020, the FCC temporarily waived the Commission's gift rules applicable to the RHC and E-rate programs to assist rural health care providers and schools and libraries affected by the pandemic. These waivers were set to expire on September 30, 2020.

In an order released on September 3, 2020 these gift rule waivers have been extended through December 31, 2020. The order also directs USAC to provide a 30-day extension to E-rate program participants impacted by the pandemic that request extension to respond to certain USAC information requests issued through December 31, 2020, including those related to PIA requests.

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SECA filed a letter with the FCC asking for relief for additional bandwidth funding and for the gift rule waiver to be extended through 6/30/2021. Additional information was provided in a supplemental letter.

Download Letter to FCC re COVID Relief PDF (8/3/2020)

Download Supplemental Letter to FCC re COVID Relief PDF (8/27/2020)

USAC's FY2021+ Category 2 Budget Tool is designed to assist E-rate applicants in determining their Category Two budgets for each five-year cycle beginning with the first budget cycle, which starts in FY2021 and ends in FY2025.

USAC has created a video tutorial for using this tool.

Two related notices regarding the E-rate Form 470 were released in the FCC Daily Digest on June 8, 2020.

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU AND THE OFFICE OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO USAC REGARDING ITS APPLICATION OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION'S E-RATE COMPETITIVE BIDDING RULES FOR FUNDING YEAR 2020

(DA No. 20-597) (Docket No. 13-184)

The letter provides guidance to USAC on applying E-rate competitive bidding rules for Funding Year 2020 including that “for funding year 2020, [the Commission] direct[s] USAC not to deny any application or issue a commitment adjustment for any application solely because the applicant selected the “Internet Access: ISP Service Only (No Transport Circuit Included)” drop-down menu option and subsequently selected on its FCC Form 471 a service that delivers Internet access to its premises. For those applications, USAC should not find a competitive bidding violation so long as the applicant has otherwise complied with all of the Commission’s competitive bidding rules.”

Download DA-20-597 PDF 

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU AND OFFICE OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR DEFER CHANGES TO FCC FORM 470 TO MINIMIZE BURDENS ON SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES IMPACTED BY COVID-19

(DA No. 20-598) (Docket No. 13-184)

The FCC Form 470 will remain unchanged for funding year 2021 to allow schools and libraries to continue to focus their time and resources on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download DA-20-598 PDF 

USAC released the first FY2020 Funding Commitment Decision Letters on Saturday, May 9, 2020. Wave 1 included 27,078 FRNs and committed over $680 million in applicant funding.

To provide relief to E-Rate program participants affected by this unprecedented national pandemic, the FCC temporarily waives and extends several E-Rate filing and service implementation deadlines, as provided herein. 

Two orders were issued. The original order DA-20-364A1 was released on April 1, 2020. An Erratum order was released on April 13, 2020 to accommodate deadlines for application years prior to 2019.

Download DA-20-364A1 PDF

Download Erratum PDF

WCB reminds schools and libraries that are closed due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak that they are permitted to allow the general public to use E-Rate-supported Wi-Fi networks while on the school's campus or library property.

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FCC waives the gift rules applicable to the RHC and E-Rate programs through September 30, 2020 to assist rural health care providers and schools and libraries affected by COVID-19.

WCB Extends E-Rate Application Filing Window for FY20 Due to COVID-19.

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SECA submitted a Petition for Reconsideration regarding the cost allocation requirement for shared C2 equipment or services that serve NIFs. SECA specifically requested the FCC to reconsider its decision in FCC Order 19-117 so as to remove the requirement that applicants must deduct a proportional share of their C2 funding request to cover a NIF’s use of C2 shared equipment, such as firewalls, wireless controllers, core network routers and switches, and any other shared equipment that is used in part by NIFs.

Download SECA Petition for Reconsideration re C2 NIF Shared Cost Allocation