The Federal Communications Commission announced today that it will commit more than $421 million in the latest round of funding for the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), bringing total program commitments to over $3.05 billion and 10 million students connected.
“Far too many students lack the connections they need to get online and stay connected to their teachers. Thankfully, Congress gave us the tools through this program to make a real difference in our communities as we work to close the Homework Gap and help schools and libraries engage in online learning,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
The FCC confirmed that to date, the ECF program has committed to supporting 6,954 schools, 613 libraries, and 80 consortia, which are approved to receive over 6.8 million connected devices and more than 3.5 million broadband connections.
The funding comes from the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund Program and can be used to purchase laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connections for use by students, school staff, and library patrons in need. The funding also can be used to support off-campus learning, such as homework and virtual learning.
With the latest round of funding commitments, the FCC says it has met its goal of responding to 70 percent of all applications within 100 days of the closing of the first filing window.
The states receiving the most funding in the latest round are:
- New York – $409,639,028;
- Texas – $296,698,698;
- California – $287,673,682;
- Illinois – $173,142,773;
- Florida – $131,664,626;
- Georgia – $124,958,200; and
- North Carolina – $109,104,016.
