Media Contact: 
Anne Veigle
anne.veigle@fcc.gov 

For Immediate Release

FCC ANNOUNCES $77 MILLION IN EMERGENCY CONNECTIVITY FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES TO HELP CLOSE THE HOMEWORK GAP
Nearly 13 Million Students Benefitting from Program Providing Digital Services for Students in Communities Across the Country
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WASHINGTON, July 27, 2022—The Federal Communications Commission today announced it is committing over $77 million in two new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Program, helping to close the Homework Gap.  These latest funding rounds are part of an ongoing support from the program, which launched last year and has provided schools and libraries three different “application windows,” for schools and libraries to apply for support.  Today’s funding commitments support applications from all three application windows, supporting over 175,000 students across the country, including Colorado, Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and Washington.  

“The Homework Gap is real.  Too many kids still lack access to the internet after the school day,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “We’re working hard to fix this, and this program is providing millions of students with the essential digital tools they need to succeed in school.”

To date, the Commission has committed over $5.6 billion to schools and libraries across the country.  Today’s announcement includes over $2.5 million from the first and second application windows providing support in the upcoming school year for 6 schools and 2 libraries.  For the third application window, the Commission is committing nearly $75 million that will support over 150 schools, 20 libraries, and 5 consortia.  

The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensure
students across the country have the necessary support to keep up with their education. To date, the program has provided support to approximately 10,000 schools, 900 libraries, and 100 consortia, and providing nearly 12 million connected devices and over 7 million broadband connections.  Of the over $5.6 billion in funding commitments approved to date, approximately $4.1 billion is supporting applications from Window 1; $828 million from Window 2; and $731 million from Window 3.  

More details about which schools and libraries have received funding commitments can be
found at https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-connectivity-fund.

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Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov 

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).