This spring the FCC will give schools and libraries one more opportunity to file requests for Emergency Connectivity Funds (ECF). That’s great news whether you’re a school leader eager to equip more students with devices or a librarian hoping to add Wi-Fi hotspot lending to your services. But experts warn that demand will likely exceed the funds available. What’s more, this third filing window will probably be the last.
To date, the FCC has committed $4.76 billion and, by their estimates, connected 12.5 million students with broadband and devices. In this next filing window, they will commit another $1 billion in ECF support.
The funds could give schools another chance to accomplish their student connectivity goals, such as acquiring additional chrome books and laptops or supporting Wi-Fi hotspots for another year. 
The filing window will open on April 28 and close on May 13. Visit the FCC website for the most current information, eligibility guidelines, and instructions.
Connectivity investments will support opportunities for growth and engagement long after the Covid-19 pandemic is behind us. For more on that topic plus tips on how to get the most out of the devices in educational environments, read our March 6, 2022 blog, “Using Wi-FI Hotspots to Reimagine Education and Bridge the Digital Divide”.
Mobile Citizen offers affordable Wi-Fi hotspot devices and unlimited data plans exclusively to qualified schools, libraries, nonprofits and government agencies to advance digital equity and to help end the digital divide. To explore opportunities for your organization, please contact our experts in the Mobile Citizen Customer Service Center at 877-216-9603.