SHLB Secures FCC Extension for Rural Health Care Program Deadline
Washington, D.C. (March 14, 2025) – The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition commends the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for granting a 60-day extension of the Funding Year 2025 Rural Health Care (RHC) Program application filing window, moving the deadline from April 1, 2025, to June 2, 2025.
The FCC’s decision follows requests from multiple stakeholders, including SHLB, to ensure that eligible rural healthcare providers have sufficient time to complete their applications, given unforeseen and unique processing delays experienced in the program this funding year.
“The Rural Health Care Program is critical in ensuring that health care providers in underserved areas can access affordable, high-speed broadband for telehealth and other essential services,” said Kristen Corra, Policy Counsel at SHLB. “Given widespread delays in access to and processing of the Form 460 and the transition to the new RHC Connect system, an extension was necessary. We greatly appreciate the FCC’s recognition of these challenges and their action to support health care providers in rural communities.”
The extension provides much-needed relief to program applicants, particularly those in consortia. Due to form processing delays and administrative hurdles caused by system transitions, they faced challenges meeting the original April 1 deadline.
SHLB remains committed to advocating for policies that expand broadband access for community anchor institutions, ensuring that schools, libraries, and health care providers can continue to serve their communities effectively.
Read SHLB’s letter here.
Read the FCC’s Order here.
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About SHLB: The SHLB Coalition is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-quality broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. The SHLB Coalition is based in Washington, D.C., and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations across the United States. To learn more, visit www.shlb.org.