E-rate Group Urges FCC to Abandon Competitive Bidding Portal Proposal

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition urged the FCC to abandon its proposal to establish an online competitive bidding portal for the E-rate program. The group, in a meeting with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, cited a letter from Senate Commerce ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the GAO asking the agency to investigate the FCC's administration of USF programs (see 2305110066). SHLB said there are "other ways to reduce the risk of fraud" in E-rate, per an ex parte filing Friday in docket 21-455, adding the FCC has "already been implementing the GAO's principal recommendation to use data analytics to identify fraud risks."