§  54.1708   Emergency Connectivity Fund cap and requests.

   (a) Cap. (1) The Emergency Connectivity Fund shall have a cap of
   $7,171,000,000.

   (2) $1,000,000 to remain available until September 30, 2030, for the
   Inspector General of the Commission to conduct oversight of support
   provided through the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

   (3) Not more than 2% of the cap, or approximately $143,420,000, shall
   be used by the Commission and the Administrator for administration of
   the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

   (b) Requests. The Administrator shall implement an initial filing
   window, covering funding for purchases made between July 1, 2021 and
   June 30, 2022 for eligible equipment and services provided to students,
   school staff, and library patrons who would otherwise lack connected
   devices and/or broadband internet access services sufficient to engage
   in remote learning. All schools and libraries filing an application
   within that the initial filing period will have their applications
   treated as if they were simultaneously received. The initial filing
   period shall conclude after 45 days. If demand does not exceed
   available funds for the first filing window, the Wireline Competition
   Bureau will direct the Administrator to open a second application
   window for schools and libraries to seek funding for eligible equipment
   and services schools and libraries previously purchased to address the
   needs of students, school staff, and library patrons who would
   otherwise have lacked access to the equipment or services sufficient to
   engage in these activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this
   second application window, applicants will be able to submit requests
   for funding for purchases made from March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
   However, in consideration of the importance of providing support for
   unconnected students, in the event that demand for prospective support
   in the first window appears to be far short of meeting current needs,
   the Commission may consider opening a second prospective window before
   opening an application window to fund previously purchased eligible
   equipment and services. If demand does not exceed available funds after
   the close of the second filing window, the Wireline Competition Bureau
   may direct the Administrator to open additional filing windows until
   the funds are exhausted or the emergency period ends, whichever is
   earlier.

   (c) Rules of distribution. (1) When the filing window(s) described in
   paragraph (b) of this section closes, the Administrator shall calculate
   the total demand for support submitted by applicants during the filing
   window. If total demand exceeds the total support available, the
   Administrator shall allocate funds to these requests for support,
   beginning with the most economically disadvantaged schools and
   libraries, as determined by the schools and libraries category one
   discount matrix in § 54.505(c) adjusted to provide a five percent
   increase for rural schools and libraries, as shown in the following
   matrix.

   Table 1 to Paragraph (c)(1)
   % of students eligible for National School Lunch Program Emergency
   connectivity fund prioritization matrix
   Discount level
   Urban Rural
   < 1 20 30
   1-19 40 55
   20-34 50 65
   35-49 60 75
   50-74 80 85
   75-100 90 95

   (2) Schools and libraries eligible for a 95 percent discount shall
   receive first priority for the funds. The Administrator shall next
   allocate funds toward the requests submitted by schools and libraries
   eligible for an 90 percent discount, then for a 85 percent discount,
   and shall continue committing funds in the same manner to the
   applicants at each descending discount level until there are no funds
   remaining. If the remaining funds are not sufficient to support all of
   the funding requests within a particular discount level, the
   Administrator shall allocate funds at that discount level using the
   percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program.