FCC Defers Changes to Form 470 Due to COVID-19

By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission notifies E-Rate program participants that the FCC Form 470, the form that E-Rate program applicants use to solicit bids from service providers for E-Rate eligible services, 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. In so doing, we seek to avoid the potential for further confusion and burden on applicants at a time when they are continuing to transition their students, patrons, teachers, and staff to remote learning and working. We therefore defer making any changes to the form until funding year 2022.

In Oct 2019, the FCC issued a Public Notice seeking comment on whether and how the FCC Form 470 drop-down menu options may be improved to minimize the potential for applicant confusion, to address stakeholder concerns, and, to the extent practicable, to reduce administrative burdens on applicants and service providers. Given the ongoing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we think it prudent to defer making changes to the FCC Form 470 drop-down menu options until funding year 2022.