United States: FCC Releases Eligible Services List For E-Rate Funding Year 2009

On November 21, 2009 the Federal Communications Commission released the Eligible Services List ("ESL") for the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism ("E-Rate Program"), for Funding Year 2009.¹ The FCC declined to adopt any of the changes to the ESL proposed by the Universal Service Administrative Company ("USAC"),² and therefore the ESL for Funding Year 2009 is the same as that for Funding Year 2008. The complete ESL for Funding Year 2009, as published by USAC, is available at the following link:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-265A2.pdf

The FCC, on its own motion, waived the requirement of 47 C.F.R. § 54.522 that it issue public notice of the final ESL no less than sixty (60) days prior to the opening date of the E-Rate Program funding window for the upcoming year. Accordingly, USAC has announced that the E-Rate Program funding window for Funding Year 2009 will open at noon Eastern Standard Time on December 2, 2008, and will close at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on February 12, 2009.

Footnotes

^{1. Release of Funding Year 2009 Eligible Services List for Schools and Libraries Universal Service Mechanism, CC Docket No. 02-6, Public Notice, FCC 08-265 (Nov. 21, 2008).}

^{2. See Commission Seeks Comment on Draft Eligible Services List for Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, CC Docket No. 02-6, Public Notice, 23 FCC Rcd 11769 (Jul. 31, 2008).}

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