The Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN) requested E-rate support for a FY2016 special construction project of a leased lit fiber network. Based on E-rate program rules, the deadline for the implementation was June 30, 2017 and eventually received a positive commitment letter in December 2017. UETN already requested their one-time service delivery extension request with USAC, but still needed additional time to complete the complex fiber implementation and had to ask the FCC for a waiver request.
The FCC stated in this appeal waiver that in addition to the fact there was no waste, fraud or abuse, they granted this waiver because of the “….unique circumstances in this matter…..and UETN must complete special construction and begin use of the leaded lit fiber service to October 1, 2020. We emphasize the limited nature of this decision. We grant this waiver because the applicant and service provider have furnished compelling evidence of the complexity of the build, unforgiving topography of the build route, and very short annual construction season due to weather….”
The granted waiver requested can be found here.
