On August 18, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission issued an Order granting waviers of program deadlines and other rules for applicants affected by the recent wildfires in Hawaii. For the E-rate program, the following relief was granted to affected applicants:
- Applicants have until January 15, 2024 (150 days) to submit USAC and/or FCC appeals, FCC Forms 486, and FCC Forms 472
- The Funding Year 2022 installation deadline for non-recurring services has been extended to September 30, 2024
- The “same functionality” requirement for service substitutions was waived, allowing applicants to “use E-Rate funding in ways that best meet their needs”
- The program’s 10-year document retention requirements were waived, with the FCC noting that “applicants and service providers will not be penalized for failure to retain or produce records destroyed by the wildfires.”
Similar waivers were granted to Emergency Connectivity Fund applicants. The FCC also granted relief in the Lifeline, Affordable Connectivity Program, Rural Health Care Program, and High Cost Universal Service Programs. The Order may be viewed here.
