The Universal Service Schools and Libraries Program, commonly known as E-rate, helps ensure that schools and libraries can obtain telecommunications and Internet access at affordable rates. The program, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), located in Washington, DC, provides discounts on these services and some hardware. E-rate is a national program funded through FCC fees collected on your phone bills.
All of the information provided on these pages is related to E-rate services for public libraries. Schools are also eligible for E-rate funding, but they are not addressed on this site.
Libraries must meet the statutory definition of library or library consortium found in the 1996 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and must be eligible for assistance from a state library administrative agency under that Act.
A library includes:
A library's eligibility for support also depends on its funding as an independent entity. Only libraries whose budgets are completely separate from any schools (including, but not limited to, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities) are eligible to receive discounted services.
For questions about the E-rate Program, call the Client Service Bureau at (888) 203-8100 on weekdays between 8 AM and 8 PM.
Participants of the universal service programs, as well as the COVID-19 Broadband Programs, are being called on to do their part to help ensure the integrity of our communications networks and the communications supply chain.
USAC updated the Supply Chain webpage to include three new pages: COVID-19 Broadband Programs, Audits, and FAQs.
Beginning Q1 2022, USAC will conduct supply chain audits to determine USF recipients’ compliance with these new supply chain rules. USAC will select a sample of service providers and program participants to audit. These audits will continue on a rolling basis over the next few years and will be separate from BCAP audits or PQA assessments.
USAC also created Supply Chain FAQs to provide clarity around commonly asked questions. USAC will update this section as new FAQs become available.
USAC will host a supply chain audit webinar. This session will be held on Tuesday, November 9 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Participants will have the opportunity to ask any questions they have that relate to the supply chain audit process. The webinar will cover the following topics:
The webinar is free to anyone; registration is required.
The supply chain certification process is ever-evolving, and it is the responsibility of participating providers to stay up-to-date on this topic and to comply with the supply chain rules.
For additional supply chain details and background, please review the Supply Chain webpage
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