Wi-Fi on School Buses is Now E-Rate Eligible!
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently voted to adopt a Declaratory Ruling making school bus Wi-Fi equipment and services eligible for E-Rate funding in FY2024. Of course, this is especially beneficial for students who face long bus rides and limited broadband access at home.
Exactly how eligibility will be defined and implemented is still to be determined. The next critical step in the process will be the release of a proposed supplement to the Eligible Services List (ESL). The ESL supplement will be subject to a brief public comment period to permit school bus Wi-Fi to be included in the full and final ESL for release prior to the opening of the FY2024 Form 471 application window.
The following is the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) announcement:
On October 19, 2023 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it will allow E-Rate funding to be used for Wi-Fi on school buses beginning in funding year 2024 as the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program is set to sunset. The ECF program has provided unprecedented resources to help students get and stay connected for online learning, with hundreds of school districts using this support to equip school buses with Wi-Fi connections. This action enhances the benefits and the reach of the E-Rate program to ensure that the millions of students caught in the Homework Gap can more fully engage in their learning.
This action clarifies that the use of Wi-Fi, or other similar access point technologies, on school buses serves an educational purpose and the provision of such service is therefore eligible for E-Rate funding. The Commission has previously found that the off-campus use of certain services is integral to the education of students and has permitted funding of such services through E-Rate. This ruling also directs the Wireline Competition Bureau to fund WiFi on school buses, as well as any E-Rate-eligible equipment needed to enable the service, as part of funding year 2024 eligible services list proceeding and seek comment on the specific services and equipment that should be funded. View the full FCC press release here.
This is a welcomed ruling by several school districts to help provide their students with more opportunities for learning and engagement.
We will keep you informed as more information is released. If you have any questions, or if this is something you may be interested in applying for in FY2024, please let us know by clicking the button below.
For help with applying for CTF or E-Rate, telecom optimization audits, or telecom project management, reach out to us at HWC Consultants!