Despite a record amount of procurement activity, the current pace of Form 471 submissions lags behind recent years by 25% of the average. At this point before the close of the filing window in recent years, there had already been an average of 10,864 Form 471 applications submitted.
School and library participation rates in the E-rate program remain at a record high-level, and there is no reason to believe that fewer applicants will be submitting funding requests this year. The slow start to the Form 471 filing window suggests that there are other factors at play. These could include new data collection requirements, confusion and last-minute changes regarding the E-rate 2.0 rules, and limitations of the new online form on the USAC web site.
The lower number of Form 471 applications has led some applicants to suggest that an extension of the E-rate filing window deadline may be required this year. Applicants are encouraged to take this brief survey to show whether they support such a delay and, if so, share the reasons why.
