In September 2005 the Federal Communications Commission released a special Hurricane Katrina E-rate Order and set aside $96 million to help those schools and libraries affected by the devastation. The $96 million is approximately 4% of the annual allocation of $2.25 billion.
Approximately 50 applicants from Mississippi and Louisiana and 60 service providers took advantage of the Order and have been notified about the status of their 2005 and 2006 Katrina related commitments totaling $17,406,811.33. A total of seven (7) counties in the state of Alabama were eligible to participate in the Katrina filing window, however no applicants from the state applied for funds through this Order.
Katrina Window Statistics:
- Total Requested: $28,076,647.32
- Total Committed: $17,406,811.33
- Total Denied: $5,119,291.84
- USAC Reduced $5,550,544.15 during the application review process.
- Basic Maintenance Commitments: $99,900.19
- Internet Access Commitments: $37,181.85
- Telecommunications Commitments: $1,004,599.31
- Internal Connections Commitments: $16,265,129.98
- Louisiana Applicants Requested: $25,522,403.57
- Louisiana Committed: $15,160,759.33
- Mississippi Applicants Requested: $2,554,243.75
- Mississippi Committed: $2,246,052.00
As with all E-rate commitments any beneficiary receiving these dollars may be subject to an audit therefore it is critical to keep good records and documentation. The Archdiocese of New Orleans will be the only applicant subject to an automatic audit as they will receive over $1 million from these funds.
The installation, payment and Form 486 deadlines will vary depending on funding year, when applicants received their funding letters and when projects actually start. Applicants can easily track these deadlines and manage their post-commitment paperwork using E-rate Manager.
The applicants receiving commitments can be viewed at Hurricane Katrina Related Requests
