The Funding Year 2017 E-rate filing window opened today at noon EST. The first applicants to submit their paperwork were:
- School District: Eureka Unified School District (Kansas)
- Individual School: Mater Dei High School (Indiana)
- Library: Muleshoe Area Public Library (Texas)
- Consortium: Amherst-Pelham Regional School District Consortium
The E-rate program, created as a result of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, is now entering its 20th year. It has played a critical role in helping schools and libraries get connected with telecommunications services, Internet access and computer networks. Recently, with demand for faster Internet connections surging, the E-rate has begun to play an even more important role in our communities. Nearly every school and library depends on the E-rate program to help it meet its connectivity goals, and the program enjoys strong bi-partisan support in Congress.‚Äã
The deadline for submission of FY2017 E-rate funding applications applications is 11:59pm EDT on May 11, 2017.