$1.5 billion in E-rate funds were committed to schools and libraries in time for the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. This is a record amount of funding. The previous record was set in 2018. Despite the challenges associated with COVID-19, the E-rate program administrator, USAC, has managed to increase the pace of its of application review process.
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Receiving a funding commitment decision letter by the start of the funding year is important because it enables applicants to initiate new Internet services and start Wi-Fi projects during the summer.