
The FCC has adopted a three-year pilot program that will disburse up to $200 million from the Universal Service Fund (USF) to schools and libraries seeking to cover eligible cybersecurity services and equipment. The pilot program will be funded separately from the Schools and Libraries E-rate program and will be open to eligible schools and libraries, including those that do not currently participate in the E-rate program.
Duration
The FCC acknowledged that many commenters in the proceeding advocated for a shorter pilot program duration; however, the FCC ultimately found a three-year period would be appropriate in order for the FCC to effectively measure the success of the program.
Budget
Schools and school districts will be eligible to receive up to $13.60 per student annually, on a pre-discount basis, with a funding floor set at a minimum of $15,000 annually and a maximum set at $1.5 million annually. Libraries will be funded with a pre-discount annual budget of $15,000 per library up to a maximum of $175,000 per system. Consortia comprised of a mixture of eligible schools and libraries will be eligible to receive pre-discounted funding up to $1.5 million annually. Pilot participants will be required to contribute a portion of the costs of the cybersecurity services and equipment based on their category one discount rate.
Eligible Services
The Eligible Services List for the pilot program consists of four categories:
Application and Selection Process
USAC will be the administrator of the pilot program. Interested applicants will be required to submit a two-part FCC Form 484 application to USAC for review. The FCC will announce the effective date of the pilot program rules and the application filing window.
To learn more about the FCC’s Cybersecurity Pilot Program, contact an attorney in our Privacy, Data Protection, and Cybersecurity; Utilities; or Broadband, Spectrum, and Communications Infrastructure practice groups.
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