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Telecommunications: Long-Term Strategic Vision Would Help Ensure Targeting of E-rate Funds to Highest-Priority Uses

GAO-09-253 Published: Mar 27, 2009. Publicly Released: Apr 27, 2009.
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Highlights

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism--also known as the E-rate program--is a significant source of federal funding for information technology for schools and libraries, providing about $2 billion a year. As requested, GAO assessed issues related to the E-rate program's long-term goals, including (1) key trends in the demand for and use of E-rate funding and the implications of these trends; (2) the rate of program participation, participants' views on requirements, and FCC's actions to facilitate participation; and (3) FCC's performance goals and measures for the program and how they compare to key characteristics of successful goals and measures. To perform this work, GAO analyzed data going back to the first year of the program, surveyed a sample of participating schools and libraries, reviewed agency documents, and interviewed agency officials and program stakeholders.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Communications Commission To better provide a foundation for effective management of the E-rate program and to ensure that program funds are used efficiently and in a manner to support desired program outcomes, the Federal Communications Commission should review the purpose and structure of the E-rate program and prepare a report to the appropriate congressional committees identifying FCC's strategic vision for the program; this report should include the program's long-term goals, whether the vision can be achieved using the existing program structure (e.g., the priority rules and discount matrix), and whether legislative or regulatory changes are necessary.
Closed – Implemented
The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism - also known as the E-rate program - is a significant source of federal funding for information technology for schools and libraries, providing about $2 billion a year. The E-rate program provides schools, school districts, libraries, and consortia with discounts on telecommunications services, Internet access, and data transmission wiring and components used for educational purposes - that is, activities that are integral, immediate, or proximate to the education of students or to the provision of services to library patrons, such as activities that occur on library or school property. In a 2009 report, we found that FCC's efforts in establishing performance goals and measures had progressed in a piecemeal manner, which indicted a lack of a coherent vision for the program. We also identified several trends that raised questions about the direction of the program. For example, in an increasingly broadband oriented world, a substantial and growing portion of program commitments were for telecommunications services such as local and cellular telephone service. Therefore, to better provide a foundation for effective management of the program and ensure that program funds are used efficiently and in a manner to support desired outcomes, we recommended that FCC review the purpose and structure of the program. On July 19, 2013, FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that initiated a thorough review and modernization of the program built around three goals: increased broadband capacity, cost-effective purchasing, and streamlined program administration. In its NPRM, FCC noted that it was responding to GAO's recommendations. FCC Commissioner Pai also noted that the E-Rate program had evolved over the years and that FCC had lost sight of what was important, a sentiment consistent with our finding of a lack of a coherent vision for the program. Among other things, FCC sought comment on prioritizing funding for new fiber deployments that will drive higher speeds and long-term efficiency, ensuring that schools and libraries can access funding for modern high-speed Wi-Fi networks in classrooms and library buildings, increasing consortium and bulk buying opportunities to lower prices, and providing a streamlined electronic filing system. According to FCC, this effort will help to deliver students and teachers with access to high-capacity broadband nationwide.
Federal Communications Commission To better provide a foundation for effective management of the E-rate program and to ensure that program funds are used efficiently and in a manner to support desired program outcomes, the Federal Communications Commission should provide information in its annual performance plan on (1) the amount of undisbursed funding associated with commitments that have expired and why these funds were not disbursed, and (2) the actions taken to reduce the amount of undisbursed funding and the outcomes associated with these actions.
Closed – Implemented
The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism - commonly referred to as the E-rate program - is a significant source of federal support for technology funding for schools and libraries. E-rate is similar to a grant program in that schools and libraries apply annually for support and, if approved, receive discounts for eligible services actually received. The E-rate program funds telecommunications services (Priority 1 services), such as local, long distance, and wireless services, and internal connections (Priority 2 services), such as cabling, components, routers, switches, and network servers that are necessary to transport information. The E-rate program is capped at $2.25 billion a year. All eligible and properly completed requests for Priority 1 services are funded up to the available amount of funding; Priority 2 services are funded with what remains. In a 2009 report, we found that of the $19.5 billion in E-rate funding committed to schools and libraries between 1998 and 2006, $5.0 billion - more than one-quarter - was not disbursed. We found that undisbursed funding was problematic because it had the potential to reduce the number of participants that received commitments for Priority 2 services; in particular, some applicants for Priority 2 services, who would have received funding if aggregate requests and commitments were more consistent with actual disbursements, did not receive funding. Therefore, we recommended that FCC provide information on the amount of undisbursed funding associated with commitments that have expired, why these funds were not disbursed, and the actions taken to reduce the amount of undisbursed funding. In 2014, FCC asked the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) - the program's administrator - to develop information on undisbursed E-rate funding to be published as an addendum to USAC's most recent annual report and to be included in USAC's future annual reports. USAC published information on undisbursed funding, the reasons for undisbursed funding, and its actions to reduce undisbursed funding in its 2013 Annual Report. FCC's and USAC's actions should help reduced the instances whereby applicants are denied funding because of undisbursed funding.

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Topics

Aid for educationBudget obligationsBudget outlaysCheck disbursement or controlE-rateEducation program evaluationEligibility determinationsFederal fundsFund auditsInformation technologyInternal controlsInternetPerformance measuresPolicy evaluationProgram managementPublic librariesRequirements definitionSchool districtsSchoolsSecondary schoolsTelecommunicationsUniversal servicePolicies and proceduresProgram goals or objectives