E-Rate Funding Commitment Decision Letters to be Released

Record Commitment of $646 Million and Over 23,800 Applications Washington, D.C. – The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will release a record wave of funding commitment decision letters (FCDLs) to Funding Year 2012 (FY 2012) school and library applicants on July 10, 2012. USAC will send over 23,800 letters committing $646 million in universal service support. The FCDLs will notify applicants of funding commitments for Priority One services (telecommunications and Internet access) for all discount bands from 20% to 90%. Included in this first wave are Pimeria Alta Academy in Arizona, Moniteau County/Price James Library in Missouri, Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District in Michigan, and the West Point Public Schools in Virginia, the first applicants to successfully file their FY 2012 applications. More applicants will receive funding commitment decisions in this wave than any other wave in the program history. USAC will issue waves of funding decisions each week until all decisions have been processed. “We are pleased that so many deserving applicants will realize the benefits of E-rate in this record breaking first wave of decisions,” stated Anne Campbell, Chair of the USAC Schools & Libraries Committee. On April 20, 2012, USAC reported to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that $5.24 billion in requested funding has been estimated for schools and libraries seeking discounts for FY 2012, an increase of $927 million from the prior year. This estimate is based on the dollars requested in 46,838 applications received, or postmarked, by March 20, 2012, the close of the Form 471 application filing window.