Chairwoman Rosenworcel Announces Participants in Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program
The Federal Communications Commission selected 707 participants for the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program, including 645 schools and districts, 50 libraries, and 12 consortia. Participants in the three-year pilot program will receive support to defray the costs of eligible cybersecurity services and equipment and provide the FCC with data to better understand whether and how universal service funds could be used to improve school and library defenses against increasing cyberattacks. All 50 states, in addition to Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, and several Tribal lands are reflected by the Pilot participants. The Cybersecurity Pilot Program's $200 million budget uses reserved, unused universal service funds to ensure that gains in enhanced cybersecurity do not come at the cost of undermining E-Rate success in promoting digital opportunities for all and basic connectivity. To select Pilot participants, FCC staff first looked at qualifying applicants’ discount rate and National School Lunch Program percentages, prioritizing the highest percentages. To ensure diversity in the participant pool, including geographic diversity, staff also considered applicants’ entity type, size, and location, among other things, as directed by the FCC.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel Announces Participants in Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program