Emergency Connectivity Fund Opening Late June, Dish Accepting 5G Signups, NTIA Updates Federal Program Guide

June 16, 2021—The Emergency Connectivity Fund, the program that will subsidize broadband connectivity and devices for schools and libraries, will open for applications later this month.

The Universal Service Administrative Co. and the Federal Communications Commission announced Tuesday that they will be receiving first-round applications for $7.17 billion worth of subsidies starting June 29 at noon and running for 45 days.

Purchases of broadband connectivity and devices like laptops, tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems and routers will need to be made between July 1 and June 30, 2022.

Dish Networks Begins Signups for 5G Network

Dish Networks, which was the beneficiary of mobile wireless assets when T-Mobile completed the purchase of Sprint last year, is accepting signups for its 5G network, Axios reported Tuesday.

Called “Project Gene5is,” the webpage asks for a zip code, email address and phone number. It’s unclear where the service will launch, but Axios reports that the first city is expected to be Las Vegas.

Critics of the T-Mobile-Sprint deal were concerned about the lack of Dish’s progress on bringing another mobile wireless network to offset the consolidation, which trimmed the number of national carriers to three.

NTIA Updates Federal Program Guide

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has updated its database on federal programs across multiple federal agencies.

The database, which tracks more than 80 federal programs across 14 federal agencies, assists prospective broadband funding applicants to get money. The database is an obligation of the Access Broadband Act, which mandates a central website for applicants to access for funding.