Demand for E-rate funding is increasing, especially in rural and remote districts, according to a new report from Funds for Learning, an E-rate consulting firm. The report, “FY2014 E-rate Funding Requests: Telecommunications and Internet Access By Schools & School Districts,” which analyzes funding requests for funding year 2014 (July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015). It does not include funding requests by libraries or consortia. According to the report, requests for Internet access and wide area network (WAN) services have continued the trend of shifting to higher broadband speeds. The report also found that schools and districts categorized as rural and rural remote had the most growth in demand for E-rate funding, and that the number of vendors listed on applications for internal connections and maintenance “has continued to drop, which suggests less competition in that space.” Read more…
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