Tuesday, April 22, 2003

FCC Updates Universal Service Fund for Schools

The FCC adopted new rules to streamline the operation of the schools and libraries program of the universal service fund (USF), which enables qualified applicants to receive discounts for eligible telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections. The USF has provided over $9.8 billion in funding to public schools and libraries since the program was launched in 1997. The USF is capped at $2.25 billion annually to provide eligible schools and libraries with discounts - ranging from 20% to 90% - for authorized services. The FCC estimates that 87% of U.S. public school classrooms are now connected to the Internet, compared with 14% in 1997.
http://www.fcc.gov