Closing the digital divide one anchor institution at a time.
FCC Extends Rural Health Care Program Filing Deadline to End of June March 27, 2020
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Alicja Johnson
Communications Manager
ajohnson@shlb.org
(202) 263-4626
Washington, D.C. (March 27, 2020) - Today the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition praised the Federal Communications Commission decision to waive several rules and extend the deadline for filing Rural Health Care (RHC) applications until June 30, 2020. The Order gives healthcare providers an additional two months to file their applications for broadband funding.
“At a time when healthcare providers are overwhelmed by an avalanche of coronavirus victims, the Commission has lightened their load,” said John Windhausen Jr., executive director of the SHLB Coalition. “The Commission’s decision to waive several rules and extend the filing deadline for Rural Health Care applicants this year is enormously helpful. Chairman Pai continues to demonstrate sound judgment in adjusting the regulatory apparatus to reduce the burdens on healthcare providers across the country so they can focus on the needs of patients during this pandemic. We encourage the FCC to further help our nation’s hospitals and clinics by allowing health care providers to upgrade their broadband capacity immediately from their existing broadband providers. Let’s take care of our healthcare providers like they take care of us.”
The SHLB Coalition requested the FCC extend the RHC program filing deadline in a February 27 letter. SHLB also asked for the deadline extension in its March 17 letter, which proposed 15 actions the FCC should take to address the COVID-19-driven connectivity crisis.
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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 from across the United States. To learn more, visit www.shlb.org.