FCC Commits $37 Million In Emergency Connectivity Funding

The Federal Communications Commission announced that it is committing $37 million in the 13th wave of Emergency Connectivity Fund program support, helping to close the Homework Gap. This latest round of funding is supporting over 170 schools, 30 libraries, and 4 consortia across the country, including students in Alaska, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Texas. On April 28, the FCC will open a third application filing window that closes May 13, 2022 for eligible equipment and services to be delivered or received in the upcoming school year. During this third application filing window, eligible schools and libraries can submit requests for funding to purchase eligible equipment and up to 12 months of recurring services between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023. Given past demand, the third application filing window will likely be the last opportunity for schools and libraries to request funding before the remaining Emergency Connectivity Funds are exhausted. Total commitments to date have funded over 10 million connected devices and 5 million broadband connections. This announcement includes nearly $27 million in commitments from Window 1 applications and over $10 million in commitments from Window 2 applications.