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Federal Communications Commission - Emergency Connectivity Fund

Federal Agency/Bureau
Federal Communications Commission/Wireline Competition Bureau
Program Name
Emergency Connectivity Fund
Authorizing Legislation

American Rescue Plan Act, 2021, H.R. 1319, Pub. L. No. 117-2, 117th Cong., tit. VII, § 7402 (2021)

Program Overview

The FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund Program (Program) provides funding for schools and libraries for the purchase, during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, of connected devices and broadband connections for use by students, school staff, and library patrons for primarily educational purposes while they are at locations other than schools and libraries. Support provided through the Program reimburses eligible schools and libraries for purchases of eligible equipment, including Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and connected devices, as well as advanced telecommunications and information services, to meet the remote learning needs of students, school staff, and library patrons who would otherwise lack access to connected devices and broadband connections sufficient to engage in remote learning during the upcoming school year. The FCC has designated the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) as the Administrator of the Program.

CFDA

32.009

Type of Funding

Subsidy

Link to application site, NOFO, FOA, or Grants.gov (if different from program website above)

Not Applicable

Important Dates (if applicable)

The first application filing window for the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program opened on June 29, 2021, and closed on August 13, 2021. Applicants requested $5.137 billion to fund connected devices and broadband connections in the first application filing window. The second application filing window closed on October 13, 2021. Applicants requested $1.29 billion to fund connected devices and broadband connections in the second application filing window. A third application filing window opened on April 28, 2022 and closed on May 13, 2022, during which applicants could request support for eligible equipment and up to 12 months of recurring service to be provided or delivered between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023 to students, school staff, and library patrons with unmet needs. Applicants requested over $2.81 billion to fund connected devices and broadband connections during the third application filing window.

FY2023 Appropriations Amount

Total Amount Provided in American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: $7.171 billion

Amount Available Towards Broadband (if specified): $7.171 billion

Matching Requirement

No

Complementary Federal Funding Option

Not Applicable

Broadband-related Program Purpose/Eligible Expenditures
Speed/Technical Requirement for Broadband Infrastructure

Not Applicable

Eligible Recipients
If "Other", Eligible Recipient(s)

Eligible Health Care Providers

Criteria for Eligible Recipients

Not Applicable

Grant Beneficiaries (if different from eligible recipients)

Not Applicable

Reporting Requirements

Not Applicable

Publicly-available programmatic data
Contact Information

Emergency Connectivity Fund Customer Support Center: (800) 234-9781
https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6296809/emergency-connectivity-fund/

Additional Information

FCC May 10, 2021 Report and Order on the Emergency Connectivity Program: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-21-58A1.pdf

Updated

March 2023

Funding Guide