The FCC said on Monday that it has received requests for nearly $1.3 billion in the second application filing window in the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, which supports home devices and connectivity for students and library patrons.
The commission also committed an additional $269 million in the first application filing window.
The second application funding window will fund almost 2.4 million connected devices and more than 564,000 broadband connections. The second application window ran from September 28 to October 13 and supports equipment and purchases received or delivered between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. It has garnered applications from 50 states, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.
In total, the program has committed $2,632,195,122.16 in funding to school and library applicants. The program is supporting more than 6.1 million connected devices and almost 2.9 million broadband connections to be administered by 6,028 schools, 512 libraries and 49 consortia.
New York – with $404,947,229.05 – has gotten the highest level of commitment. The Virgin Island has gotten the least, with $33,077.60.
“Clearly there still is a tremendous demand for help in our communities to meet the broadband needs of students and library patrons engaged in online learning,” Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, said in a press release about the Emergency Connectivity Fund applications. “The Emergency Connectivity Fund is the single largest effort to bring connectivity and devices to students, helping to close the Homework Gap and providing critical services to library patrons. Together with the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, the Commission is investing more than $10 billion to support success in the digital age, no matter who you are or where you live.”
In late September, The FCC committed $1,203,107,496.88 to 3,040 schools, 260 libraries, and 24 consortia in the first wave of the $7.17 billion.
