Everybody's lying low. But no amendment was attached to the appropriations bill when the House passed it last month. The E-rate's best hope may hinge on its ability to start delivering discounts soon, said Bruce Hunter, the director of government relations for the American Association of School Administrators. The SLC begins accepting applications from schools and libraries for the education rate. By April 15, the SLC has received 30,000 such applications.
Applicants expect to receive discounts on telecommunications services by summer.
The FCC agrees to restructure the program. Two bills are introduced in Congress that propose using part of an existing excise tax on telephone service to pay for the E-rate instead of fees collected from telecommunications companies. School and library applicants now expect to receive E-rate discounts this fall. Libraries Corp. Web site contains a variety of information about the 'E-rate' program. Read the Education Department's schools and libraries E-Rate Fact Sheet .