FCC to Open Second Window for Emergency Connectivity Fund Applications

High demand for funding and the ongoing pandemic has prompted the Federal Communications Commission to open a second application window for funding available through the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund Program. As of the closing of the first application window on August 13^th, the FCC received requests for $5.137 billion to fund 9.1 million connected devices and 5.4 million broadband connections.  In light of this demand, the FCC announced it will open a second application filing window that will run from September 28^th to October 13^th to allow schools and libraries to request funding for connected devices and broadband connections for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons for the current 2021-22 school year. The FCC noted, “the rise of the Delta variant means off-campus connectivity remains vital to ensuring students, school staff, and library patrons can engage in remote learning as they face challenges and uncertainty amidst the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.”