SHLB Roundup - Week of July 12

SHLB Weekly Roundup

Explore SHLB’s weekly highlights for the week of July 8.

Join us on July 31 at 1 pm ET for an exciting webinar where we will dive into the transformative power of the FCC’s July 18th E-rate Hotspot Lending Order.

Discover how schools and libraries can now tap into E-rate funding for hotspot devices and off-campus services, bridging the digital divide in low-income communities.

We’ll decode the new rules adopted and share practical strategies for maximizing impact. Don’t miss this opportunity to empower your school or library!

Register here.

The early bird registration is closing soon!

Non-members will receive $100 off at the checkout before July 16. Members can log-in to the member portal to receive an extra discount.

For sponsorship inquiries, please reach out to Eric Fredell at efredell@shlb.org.

SHLB’s Filings and Letters

HotSpot Lending Update: SHLB staff and members held four meetings with FCC representatives to discuss the upcoming HotSpot Lending decision. The proposal aims to provide ongoing E-rate funding for schools and libraries, enabling them to lend hotspots to low-income families without internet access. Read SHLB’s detailed ex parte summary.

While SHLB supports this initiative, we’ve also recommended adjustments, such as increasing the three-year budget, allowing flexible technology options, and funding devices with built-in 4G/5G capability.

Stay tuned—the FCC is expected to vote on this item on July 18, 2024, and publish a final Order thereafter.

Have You Logged Into The New Member Portal Yet?

We’ve got a new member portal!

In order to do things like get your SHLB Member discount on an AnchorNets registration, you’ll need to activate your account in our new system.

If you’re reading this, it means we likely already have an email for you in our system, which you’ll need to verify and set a new password.

Check out this helpful blog with instructions on how to activate your updated account!

If you have any questions or concerns about navigating the new portal please email Kristen Engebretsen at kengebretsen@shlb.org.

Policy Groups Update

Rural Health Care Policy Call:

On July 11, Kristen led an insightful call where we recapped our recent visit to the Indian Health Council, Inc., a tribal health care facility located on the Rincon Indian Reservation outside of San Diego.

We also discussed the profound impact of telemedicine in response to the Arkansas mass shooting, delved into rural health care cybersecurity, explored routing diversity, and assessed the status of 2023 funding applications.

Issues We’re Working On

Chevron Doctrine: John provided a brief overview of the recent Supreme Court Loper Bright decision, which overturned the Chevron doctrine. He suggested that Loper might not be as significant as the earlier decision establishing the “major questions doctrine.” In Loper, the Supreme Court decided to independently review an agency’s interpretation of unclear statutory language while still deferring to the agency’s policy decisions.

However, this decision poses a threat to the FCC’s e-rate authority and, to a lesser extent, the application of the rural health care program to non-rural hospitals.

Broadband Mapping: At the congressional FCC oversight hearing, Chair Rosenworcel indicated that the FCC will review its broadband mapping process, potentially opening the door to improving mapping for anchor institutions.