Insights: Broadband Legal Strategies Blog

On December 21, 2021, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced that the application filing window for Funding Year 2022 FCC Form 471 will open January 12, 2022, at noon EST and will close on March 22, 2022, at 11:50 p.m. EDT.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) yesterday issued a notice of inquiry (NOI) on the Universal Service Fund (USF) in light of the COVID legislation. Comments are due January 18, 2022 and reply comments are due January 31, 2022.  The Commission has established WC Docket No. 21-476 for this proceeding.

On October 29, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission announced that the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program filing window was open.  The window closes on January 14, 2022.

On October 25, 2021, the FCC announced that it had received nearly $1.3 billion in funding requests in the second application filing window of the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund Program.

On October 26, 2021, President Biden nominated Jessica Rosenworcel as Chair of the Federal Communications Commission.

On September 21, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau released a Public Notice directing USAC to review and process all Emergency Connectivity Fund Program applications filed after the close of the first window with those filed in the second application window in accordance with program rules and requirements.

On September 3, 2021, the FCC’s Office of Economics and Analytics announced the filing deadline for the submission of Form 477 data as of June 30, 2021. 

On August 30, 2021, the FCC announced it was extending the Sept. 1, 2021 deadline for Forms 477.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) released the Funding Year 2022 E-rate Eligible Services List (ESL) today.  Comments are due September 7, 2021 and replies are due October 12, 2021.  The Public Notice invites stakeholders to comment on any aspect of the proposed FY 2022 ESL. 

On August 27, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that there is sufficient funding available to fully meet the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) estimated demand for category one (C1) and category two (C2) requests for E-rate supported services for funding year (FY) 2021.

The filing deadline for Form 477 data as of June 30, 2021, is September 1, 2021.

On August 25, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission announced that requests for $5.137 billion in funding to support 9.1 million connected devices and 5.4 million broadband connections were received during the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program’s initial filing window. 

The FCC is seeking comment on its proposed changes to the FCC Forms 499-A and 499-Q.  Comments are due on Monday, August 2.

On July 22, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) released a Public Notice setting the service delivery deadline and modifying certain language in one of the certifications for the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program application.

The FCC’s Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) will be launching a modernized Form 477 filing interface in July 2021. FCC Form 477 filers will need an individual CORES username and password to log in.

The FCC on June 25 announced in an ECF Workshop that it had posted the responses to Frequently Asked Questions on its website. 

In a letter submitted June 22, 2021, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) told the Wireline Competition Bureau that, as of March 31, 2021, $379.97 million is available for carry-forward for the Rural Health Care Program in Funding Year (FY) 2021.

On June 21, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau partially granted the request for waiver of the service delivery deadline by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition. 

Today, the FCC released a Public Notice stating that on June 25, starting at 2 p.m. EDT, the FCC will host a virtual webinar to provide information on the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), on fcc.gov/live.  

Today, the FCC announced the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) 45-day filing window will open on June 29, 2021. The deadline for applications is August 13, 2021.

In a Public Notice released June 10, 2021, the FCC announced that the proposed Universal Service Fund (USF) contribution factor for the third quarter of 2021 will be 31.8 percent.  This is a decrease from the contribution factor of 33.4 percent for the second quarter of 2021.

On May 12, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau found that the urban rate documentation submitted by a rural health care providers (HCP) were, in fact, “publicly available” because the rates were provided upon request on a non-confidential basis and submitted to USAC in public filings.

On March 31, 2021, USAC submitted its annual report to the FCC. It contains highlights of the year, by program.

On March 19, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau released a Public Notice announcing the E-rate and Rural Health Care (RHC) programs’ funding caps for 2021. 

On March 26, 2021, USAC estimated the demand for E-rate services at $3.03 billion for Funding Year 2021.

Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) certifications are due by March 1, 2021.

On February 8, 2021, the Consortium for School Networking, the Alliance for Excellent Education, the Council of the Great City Schools, the Schools, Health, & Libraries Broadband Coalition, the State Educational Technology Directors Association, and the State E-rate Coordinators’ Alliance (“Petitioners”) filed a petition for rulemaking.

On February 1, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission today issued a Public Notice seeking comment on several petitions asking the FCC to permit the use of E-rate funds to support remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Comments are due February 16, 2021 and reply comments are due February 23, 2021.  All filings should refer to WC Docket No. 21-31.