[Michlib-l] Special construction matching E-Rate dollars

[Norris, Sonya (MDE)]

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is pleased to announce the allocation of $5 million for the purposes of leveraging additional dollars through the federal E-Rate program for special construction builds upgrading district, intermediate school district (ISD), public school academy (PSA), and library broadband connections. Using these funds, eligible applicants and consortia groups could leverage up to an additional 10% in E-Rate discount award with a dollar-for-dollar match in state funding. Minimum target speeds, as defined in the Second Modernization Order of 2014, should be 100 megabits per second (Mbps) per 1000 students with plans to support scalability reaching 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) per student.  With respect to libraries, the Order adopts as a bandwidth target the American Library Association's recommendation that all libraries that serve fewer than 50,000 people have broadband speeds of at least 100 Mbps and all libraries that serve 50,000 people or more have broadband speeds of at least 1 Gbps<https://www.fcc.gov/general/summary-e-rate-modernization-order>.



The MDE has submitted documentation to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for recognition of the funding allocation and the grant process in which the MDE will disseminate these funds. Once approval is given, the MDE will disseminate information about the grant process. Eligible entities who are below the federal bandwidth targets as presented in the Second Modernization Order of 2014 will be given funding priority, but all eligible entities are encouraged to apply when the grant becomes available.



While the MDE cannot guarantee the availability of these funds in E-Rate Funding Year 2019, if the funds do become available, eligible applicants with qualifying projects should check the box on the FCC Form 471 denoting that a state match exists. Checking the box will not jeopardize funding for the applicant but will trigger a more robust Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) review of the application. The MDE anticipates funding will be available no later than E-Rate Funding Year 2020.



For more information, please send an email to erate at michigan.gov<mailto:erate at michigan.gov> or contact Joe Polasek, State E-Rate Coordinator, at polasekj3 at michigan.gov<mailto:polasekj3 at michigan.gov>, or 517-335-1291.


Sonya Schryer Norris
Library Consultant
Library of Michigan
Michigan Department of Education
517-335-1498
Norriss2 at michigan.gov<mailto:Norriss2 at michigan.gov>

https://michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan
http://mel.org<http://mel.org/>
http://michlibrary.org<http://michlibrary.org/>

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