In the News

Updates

The American Rescue Plan of 2021 - Signed into law March 11, 2021 provides $7.17 Billion to be added to Erate for home connectivity. This program will differ from traditional Erate in that it will serve the home and will be a 100% reimbursement program and will last 1 years past the pandemic. The FCC is currently writing the rules and guidelines for the program.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319/text

Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) - FCC provides $3.2 Billion to low income families. $50 per month per household / $75 per month per Tribal Household. Additionally, you can be reimbursed up to $100 for a laptop, desktop of tablet. I'm hopeful schools will sign up as "outreach" partners in order to help get the information to the local community. The local School District is required to verify income eligibility of their students to the participating provider.
docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-21-29A1.pdf
https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit

Erate Rules (Regularly Updated)
www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d8804f3d1f027015ffc33fbd50d2a181&mc=true&node=sp47.3.54.f&rgn=div6

November 2020 - FCC Releases 2021 Eligible Services List (ESL)
docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-1418A1.pdf

November 2020 - Illinois Based Charter School to pay $4.5 Million to settle claims related to Erate Contracts
www.justice.gov/opa/pr/illinois-based-charter-school-management-company-pay-45-million-settle-claims-relating-e-rate

October 2020 - Additional Guidance on Category 2 Budgets
docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-1218A1.pdf

October 2020 - Rural Broadband Providers work with the FCC to meet internet needs of students in low income families
docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-367268A1.pdf

September 2020 - USDA extends free meals through December
www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/08/31/usda-extends-free-meals-kids-through-december-31-2020?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=92931e84-55f7-447e-be41-1e8207c72cf9

September 2020 - FCC Opens Second Funding Window for Category 1 to enable schools to procure more bandwidth due to Covid school clusures across the country
www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-opens-second-e-rate-application-window-funding-year-2020-0

September 2020 - FCC Extends Gift Rule Waiver till December 2020
https://www.fundsforlearning.com/docs/2020/09/Gift%20Rule%20Waiver%20Extended%20to%20December%2031.pdf

June 2020 - Governor Ducey provides $40M to Education Broadband Expansion
https://ein.az.gov/emergency-information/emergency-bulletin/gov-ducey-and-supt-hoffman-announce-azcares-plan

June 2020 - FBI Ransomware Warning

fbi_k-12_ransomware_warning.pdf
File Size:	350 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

May 2020 - Gila County Consortium funded for $19,000,000 County-Wide Broadband build
https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/news_detail_T5_R477.php

March 2020 - FCC Covid Specific Updates
https://www.usac.org/e-rate/resources/covid-19-response/

October 2019 - Texas Carriers file petition with the FCC to limit broadband builds
https://www.educationdive.com/news/what-administrators-need-to-know-ahead-of-FCC-2020-e-rate-filing-season-ed-tech/563728/
If we can bring new services to a school or library CHEAPER than the existing providers, we should do it!

July 2019 - 87% savings on internet for Yavapai County Schools and Libraries
https://www.verdenews.com/photos/2019/jul/27/205732/

July 2019 - Arizona Success Story
https://www.educationsuperhighway.org/blog/state-funds-school-internet/

July 2019 - Apache County Broadband
https://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_news/some-apache-county-schools-now-connected-to-broadband/article_58f34ba9-b06f-5b2f-8898-16113d6cfcbc.html

July 2019 - Competition Lowers Costs
https://www.fundsforlearning.com/blog/2019/07/competition-lowers-broadband-prices?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-guidenotes&utm_content=Service+Provider+Guidenotes+Template

June 2019 - Rural Education Crisis
https://chamberbusinessnews.com/2019/06/13/arizonas-rural-higher-education-crisis/

June 2019 - Navajo County Re-boot
https://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_news/a-re-boot-for-navajo-gila-county-broadband-projects/article_a582ccf6-e399-5b46-a5e1-44266b9af554.html

June 2019 - Payson / Gila County working to bring RELIABLE Broadband to the area
https://www.paysonroundup.com/news/local/payson-council-votes-to-support-reliable-broadband/article_a8610d10-2448-5a98-a831-813a389a8a15.html

June 2019 - Heber Overgaard / Apache County on the Precipice of High Speed Internet
https://www.wmicentral.com/news/apache_county/apache-co-heber-overgaard-on-the-precipice-of-high-speed/article_27a231b6-6b26-5924-aa18-4185757aba91.html

June 2019 - Gila County $17M Project
https://www.paysonroundup.com/news/arizona_state/million-to-bring-broadband-to-gila-schools-and-libraries/article_c041fd95-a402-5117-b26a-59f7ccca7383.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share&fbclid=IwAR0c1T-8SwENyjirWVJKEpl2npxA5P-EXJJAZABCrZ3daeptad567MvziW8

May 2019 - Corporation Commissioner Andy Tobin praising the Broadband program:
https://www.azcc.gov/divisions/administration/news/2019Releases/2019-5-29-Tobin-in-Praise-of-Rural-Broadband.asp

May 2017 - Congress Elementary School
https://www.abc15.com/news/state/arizona-broadband-project-brings-rural-schools-into-21st-century

March 2017 - Arizona Corporation Commission rule creating a funding mechanism
https://www.azcc.gov/docs/default-source/utilities-files/telephone/arizona-universal-service/decision-no-76159.pdf?sfvrsn=7d4e0358_0
Docket: https://docket.images.azcc.gov/0000177964.pdf