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In addition to this three-year funding cap, the rules establish
a pre-discount limit of $15 per month, per line, on recurring
internet service and $90 per hotspot device purchased.
In terms of prioritization, WiFi hotspots and service loaned
to students and patrons for off-campus use will be funded after
all on-campus services if demand is high.
Utilization and
Record Keeping
To prevent schools and libraries
from amassing WiFi hotspots,
avoid wasteful spending of E-rate
funds, and ensure the devices
are being utilized properly, the
FCC has imposed some rules
overseeing use of the equipment.
Lines of service that aren’t
used for three consecutive
months must be terminated
by the service provider. Service
providers must notify appli-
cants of lines that go unused
for 60 consecutive days and then allow applicants 30 days to use
the hotspot before terminating the service. Service providers are
also required to provide usage reports to applicants at least once
per billing cycle.
Applicants can’t request funding for WiFi hotspots they
plan to use in the future, or for emergency storage in the event
of loss, theft, or breakage.
TO BE ELIGIBLE, A WIFI
HOTSPOT MUST BE:
PORTABLE A SINGLE
DEICE IE, NOT A SET
O LINKED DEICES AND
NOT HAE ETHERNET
PORTS EITHER UPSTREAM
ANTPE PORTS OR
DONSTREAM LANTPE
PORTS
If an applicant does not replace a
lost, damaged, or stolen hotspot device,
the applicant must discontinue the ser-
vice within a reasonable time (such as
60 days). Service providers are required
to waive early termination fees for ser-
vices to WiFi hotspots no longer in use.
Also, E-Rate applicants must main-
tain detailed inventories of their WiFi
hotspots and services to verify locations
and usage.
According to the FCC, schools
and libraries receiving E-Rate support
for hotspots are required to maintain
“(1) the equipment make/model; (2)
the equipment serial number; (3) the
full name of the person to whom the
equipment was provided; (4) the dates
the equipment was loaned out and re-
turned, or the date the school was no-
tified that the equipment was missing,
lost or damaged; and (5) service detail.”
Libraries must maintain the same re-
CHAT GPT
cords, except for the full name of the
patron borrowing the hotspot. In both
cases, “service detail” is defined as “the
line number or other unique identifier that associates a device to
that particular line of service.”
Other Requirements
As E-Rate eligible equipment, WiFi hotspots are subject to the
same rules governing other eligible services.
For instance, schools must
be CIPA compliant to be eli-
gible for hotspot funding (that
is, they must have technology
in place to safeguard students
online). They must adhere to
all E-Rate competitive bid-
ding requirements, including
posting a Form 470, collect-
ing bids, and waiting 28 days
before signing a contract and
filing a Form 471. And they
must keep all documentation
for at least 10 years in case
they’re audited.
Funds For Learning has
been helping schools and libraries successfully comply with
E-Rate rules and regulations since the program’s inception.
For additional information and resources to help the new WiFi
hotspot rules, visit fundsforlearning.com.
Brian Stephens, CEMP, is a senior compliance analyst at Funds
For Learning, an E-rate consulting firm based in Oklahoma.
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