National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors

• Home
• About Us
• Membership
• Policy / Advocacy
• Broadband
• PEG
• Conferences & eNATOA
• Resources
• Chapters
• Members Only

NATOA Files Comments on Proposed Changes to the E-Rate Program

On Friday, NATOA, joined by the National Association of Counties and the New America Foundation, filed comments with the FCC on proposed changes to the E-Rate program starting in Funding Year 2011.  Our comments supported the FCC’s proposal to reallocate funding so that broadband was given priority for receiving the finite funds that are available each year.  Our comments also urge the FCC to make Anchor Institution Networks explicitly eligible to receive E-Rate funds. 

The FCC stopped short of proposing this, but making Anchor Institution Networks eligible would be in line with the National Broadband Plan’s goals and we believe it would also be permitted by existing law.  Additionally, we ask the FCC to go further than their current proposal to adjust the annual funding cap for inflation (the cap has been static at $2.25 billion for a decade).  We argue that they should raise the cap to the maximum sustainable level, at least $3 billion annually.  Finally, we state our support for the FCC’s proposal to allow E-Rate funds to be used for the purchase or lease of dark fiber.  

 

The full text of the comments is available here.