FCC Grants E-rate Waivers to California Schools Affected by 2017 Wildfires

wildfires present compelling and unique circumstances that merit a waiver of certain rules,” said Thursday’s order. It invited other E-rate-eligible entities that saw “similarly catastrophic damage” from the same wildfires to request “similar, narrowly-tailored relief from these or other E-Rate program requirements.” The bureau gave schools and libraries 90 calendar days from the order’s effective date to submit requests for review or waiver of Universal Service Administrative Co. decision, and FCC forms 486 and 472. The bureau waived document retention requirements, recognizing that records may have been lost in the fires, though it said applicants and service providers must certify that wildfires destroyed records to use that waiver. The bureau denied the state department’s request to waive a deadline for seeking an extension of the Sept. 30, 2017, implementation deadline for nonrecurring services and the associated deadline to request a service substitution, because that deadline was before the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported the wildfires. Staff denied the department’s request for additional category 2 funds for affected schools and libraries. “While we recognize the challenges associated with rebuilding internal connections under the circumstances presented in the aftermath of the wildfires," it said, "the Department has not presented evidence to demonstrate that the internal connections in the affected schools and libraries have been damaged or destroyed and that applicants have expended a significant amount of their category two budgets leaving limited to no funds to replace these connections.”