Announcements  Emergency Connectivity Fund Second Application Window Closes Wednesday, October 13, 2021 Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), a temporary federal funding program available to E-rate eligible schools. ECF program funds may reimburse schools for the purchase of internet service and laptops or tablets necessary for students and teachers to participate remote learning activities away from school. October 13, 2021, is the final deadline to file applications for ECF funding for purchases between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. More information may be found on the FCC's website at https://w...

Announcements and News Comments Due on Proposed Eligible Services List for FY2020 On August 2, 2019, the FCC released (DA 19-738) seeking comment on the proposed eligible services list (ESL) for the E-Rate program for funding year 2020. The ESL does not include substantive changes, however, continued support for Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS), caching, and Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections (BMIC) may be subject to change. Absent Commission action on the Category Two Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) (FCC 19-58), continued eligibility of MIBS, caching and BMIC will vary for applicants that began their five-year Category Two budget cycle in FY2015 versus those that first...

E-RATE NEWS FLASH Announcements  Limited Waiver for Victims of October 2017 California Wildfires and Additional Opportunity to Request Relief On January 3, 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a limited waiver (DA 19-15 ) for victims of the October 2017 wildfires in eight counties designated by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as eligible for disaster relief. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) published a list of affected applicants and issued instructions on how affected applicants may initiate requests in its January 22 USAC News Brief. It is important to note while this particular decision is limited, the FCC stated in its decision than ...

E-RATE NEWS FLASH  Announcements Limited Waiver for Victims of October 2017 California Wildfires On January 3, 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a limited waiver (DA 19-15 PDF) for victims of the October 2017, wildfires in eight counties designated by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as eligible for disaster relief: Butte, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Sonoma, Lake, Orange, and Yuba. Applicants in the affected counties may have additional time to file appeals or requests for waiver with the FCC or the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and to file FCC Forms 486, Forms 472, and Forms 474. Applicants that had E-rate records destroyed...

Issue 18-08 September 6, 2018 E-rate News Flash Contents: ·         Announcements ·         Pending Dates and Deadlines ·         Upcoming Training Events ·         E-rate Process: Activities to Work on Now Announcements FCC Issues Public Notice on Draft Eligible Services List for FY 2019 On July 30, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice (DA 18-789) establishing the comment period for the Funding Year (FY) 2019 Eligible Services List (ESL). Comments on the draft ESL, whi...

In this News Flash, the California Department of Education (CDE) presents a new format that includes the following sections: ·Announcements ·Pending Dates and Deadlines ·Upcoming Training Events ·E-rate Process: Activities to Work on Now Announcements Funding Year 2019 FCC Form 470 is Available in the E-rate Productivity Center The FCC Form 470 for Funding Year 2019 is available to file in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC). There are some notable changes in the Form, including new clarification text pertaining to services delivered over fiber. These changes are explained in the June 29, 2018 Schools and Libraries News Brief at https://www.usac.org/sl/tools/news-briefs/preview.aspx?id=839....

E-rate News Flash Funding Year 2018–19 Funding Commitments The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has released the first four waves of funding commitments for the 2018-19 funding year. As of May 11, 2018, funding commitments for California schools exceed $65.4 million. Those local education agencies (LEA) that received a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) must now do the following: 1. Review the FCDL for accuracy. The FCDL has a new format which can be previewed in a six-minute video provided by USAC. The video is located on the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) Online Learning Library Web page at, https://www.usac.org/sl/about/outreach/videos/Funding-Commitment-Decisi...

Entity Profile Update We want to thank all of the Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) that were able to update their entity profile in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) to include the County-District-School (CDS) number prior to the close of the Administrative window. A total of 1,837 sites now have the added CDS number to help them through the Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) review process.Important Funding Year 2018 Dates and Deadlines The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced on December 14, 2017 the E-rate Funding Year 2018-19 application filing window dates.·         The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Form...

Important Funding Year 2018 Dates and Deadlines The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced on December 14, 2017 the E-rate Funding Year 2018-19 application filing window dates. • The administrative Window (used to update Entity Profiles in the E-rate Productivity Center) closes January 10, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST.• The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Form 471 window: opens January 11, 2018 at noon EST and closes March 22, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST.• The last day to file the FCC Form 470 is February 22, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  The EPC Administrative Window is Open until January 10 at 11:59 p.m. EST! This is our second reminder encouraging Local Education...

E-rate Funding Year 2018 Application Filing Window Opens January 11, 2018 I am pleased to announce the Funding Year (FY) 2018 FCC Form 471 application filing window opens Thursday, January 11, 2018, at 12:00 noon EST and closes on Thursday, March 22, 2018, at 11:59 PM EDT. This filing window is more in keeping with those used in prior funding years. Applicants can begin preparing now for the successful filing of their FY 2018 funding applications by taking the following steps:Step 1 - Install Browser Updates: Google Chrome is the preferred browser for EPC, but no matter which browser you use, be sure the latest version is installed on your computer. Step 2 - Establish Account and U...

E-Rate News Flash E-rate Funding Year 16 (2016–17) Invoicing Deadline Monthly recurring services received between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 have an invoicing deadline of October 30, 2017. Invoicing is accomplished using one of two methods.      1.  The local education agency (LEA) submits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Form 472, also known as the Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) form, to the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to receive reimbursement, after each invoice is paid in full.     2.   The Service Provider submits FCC Form 474, also known as the Servic...

Commitments for Funding Years 2017 and 2016Funding Year 2017. USAC is scheduled to release Funding Year (FY) 2017 Wave 21 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on October 20. As of October 13, FY2017 commitments total over $1.48 billion.Funding Year 2016. USAC is scheduled to release Wave 66 FCDLs on October 17. As of October 13, FY2016 commitments total just under $2.91 billion.On the date that FCDLs are issued, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC).FCC Releases FY2018 Eligible Services ListOn October 5, 2017, in Public Notice DA 17-973, the FCC released the Eligible Services List (ESL) fo...

Commitments for Funding Years 2017 and 2016 Funding Year 2017. USAC is scheduled to release Funding Year (FY) 2017 Wave 20 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on October 12. As of October 6, FY2017 commitments total over $1.43 billion. Funding Year 2016. USAC is scheduled to release Wave 65 FCDLs on October 10. As of October 6, FY2016 commitments total over $2.90 billion. On the date that FCDLs are issued, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC). Update on Fall Training USAC will be conducting in-person E-rate training sessions for 2017 at these four locations: Washington, DC area on October 10 ...

E-Rate Newsflash Post Application Filing Window Reminders The filing window for the 2017–18 E-rate funding year closed on May 11, 2017. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that submitted an FCC Form 471 may continue to review these forms and submit corrections, if needed, until the Funding Commitment Decision Letter is issued. A detailed list of the corrections that can be made, as well as instructions for how to submit the corrections can be found in the Schools and Libraries Program (SLP) News Brief dated May 12, 2017, which is archived on the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) Web page at http://www.usac.org/sl/tools/news-briefs/preview.aspx?id=772. Program Integrity Assurance Review The SL...

Commitments for Funding Year 2016 Funding Year 2016. USAC is scheduled to release Funding Year (FY) 2016 Wave 39 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on March 23. This wave includes commitments for approved applications for all service types and at all discount levels. As of March 17, FY2016 commitments total over $2.36 billion. On the date the FCDLs are issued, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC). How to Copy an FRN When completing the FCC Form 471, you can often save time by copying a Funding Request Number (FRN) from the same or another FCC Form 471. The form must exist in EPC – so the FRN to be copied must have been created for FY2016 or FY2017 – but the form does not have to be certified, as long as all of the information for the FRN you want to copy has been completed. To copy an FRN from the same or another FCC Form 471, follow these steps: Start your new FCC Form 471 in EPC. Provide the required data in the Basic Information and Entity Information sections of the form.When you reach the Funding Requests section, click the green Add FRN button.Create a nickname and answer the question, "Is this Funding Request a continuation of an FRN from a previous funding year?"Click the green Copy FRN button.To locate the FRN, you must search for either your FCC Form 471 application number or the FRN. If you do not have your form number or FRN, you can right-click the FCC Forms link on the left-hand menu, choose "Open Link in New Tab," and then perform a search to locate your form.After you identify the form or the FRN, you will then see a list of the FRN(s) you can copy. Check the box next to the FRN you want to copy and click the green Continue button.The system will then copy the FRN you chose. You must click the Refresh button to view the copied FRN in your current form.Review the copied FRN and make any necessary updates. Note that some information cannot be edited. Fields you can edit include:NicknameService type, but only if you delete all associated FRN line itemsContract, if you associated a contract with the original FRNCompetitive bidding information, if you identified the original FRN as tariffed or month-to-month (e.g., number of bids received, establishing FCC Form 470 number, service provider, pricing confidentiality). Keep in mind that the Copy FRN function is probably most useful for those applicants with a large number of FRN line items that are the same or very similar to those from another FCC Form 471. For applicants with only a few FRNs or FRN line items, it is probably easier to enter them manually. QDRs To Be Issued for Fourth Quarter 2016 At the end of each quarter, USAC issues a Quarterly Disbursement Report (QDR) to each billed entity if any invoicing activity occurred during that quarter. The QDR includes every FCC Form 472 (BEAR Form) and FCC Form 474 (SPI Form) for all funding years that were submitted to USAC and processed...

Commitments for Funding Years 2016 and 2015 Funding Year 2016. USAC is scheduled to release Funding Year (FY) 2016 Wave 38 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on March 16. This wave includes commitments for approved applications for all service types and at all discount levels. As of March 10, FY2016 commitments total over $2.34 billion. On the date the FCDLs are issued, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC). Funding Year 2015. USAC will release FY2015 Wave 74 FCDLs on March 17. This wave includes commitments for approved requests for all service types and at all discount levels. As of March 10, FY2015 commitments total over $3.31 billion. The day after the wave runs, you can check to see if you have a commitment by using USAC's Automated Search of Commitments tool. FCDLs for FY2015 will continue to be printed and mailed to applicants and service providers, and emailed to service providers who have signed up to receive electronic notifications. Top Ten Window Tips To help you to file successfully for discounted services for the FY2017 application filing window, pay attention to the following tips. Each tip contains one or more hyperlinks to additional information. 1. Familiarize yourself with the application process. Review the application process flow chart. You can find this chart in the Before You Begin section of the USAC website. It contains high-level information about the entire process for both applicants and service providers and will help you understand what you need to do and when.Read through the applicant process steps. Each step in the process is summarized in that step's description, and you can find more details on each step by clicking on the hyperlinks provided within the text.Practice filing forms. USAC has an EPC training site for applicants to use for both training and practice filing forms. The training site page includes a request form for logins and instructions for setting up your test entity. 2. Create and/or delete users in your organization's EPC account. From your landing page in EPC, your account administrator can create new users in your account and delete users who are no longer with your organization. You need at least one user who has full rights – that is, who can create, update, and certify program forms. (Partial-rights users can create and update but not certify forms.)Even though most profile information is locked for the filing window, account administrators can change levels of rights for their users.Note that you also need to assign rights to other activities and forms in addition to the FCC Forms 470 and 471 (e.g., rights to submit post-commitment change requests and complete or certify FCC Form 498). 3. Review the process and requirements to apply for newly eligible fiber. Starting with FY2016, applicants could apply for certain fiber services that were not eligible before. Those newly eligible fiber services come with additional program requirements – for example, if you post for bids to lease and light dark fiber, you must also post for the provision of those services over lit fiber so that you can compare the offerings...

Commitments for Funding Year 2016 Funding Year 2016. USAC is scheduled to release Funding Year (FY) 2016 Wave 36 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on March 2. This wave includes commitments for approved applications for all service types and at all discount levels. As of February 24, FY2016 commitments total over $2.23 billion. On the date the FCDLs are issued, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC). FY2017 Filing Window Opens Monday, February 27, 2017 The FY2017 application filing window will open on Monday, February 27 at noon EST and close on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 11:59 PM EDT.  April 13, 2017 at 11:59 PM EDT is the last opportunity for applicants to post an FCC Form 470, wait 28 days, and still be able to choose a service provider and certify an FCC Form 471 on the last day of the window. Sunday Deadline to Complete Applicant Profile Updates After the deadline, you will still have an opportunity to submit updates while you are filing your FCC Form 471. Your submitted updates will not be reflected on your FCC Form 471 original view, but if approved, will be reflected on your FCC Form 471 current view Submitting entity profile updates during the filing of your FCC Form 471 Start your FCC Form 471 and complete the Basic Information and Entity Information sections of the form.When you reach the Funding Requests section, click the green Add FRN button. Create the FRN. Note that you must create a nickname, provide the service type, include information about a tariffed or month-to-month service or associate a contract record with your FRN, and identify the service provider.When you reach the Narrative section, include a description of the entity profile changes you would like to make along with any other information pertinent to the FRN.Create any remaining FRNs, review your information, and certify the form. During the review of your application, Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) will be able to help you process your entity update(s). FCC Form 486 Urgent Reminder Letters for FY2016 Start Next Week USAC will start sending FCC Form 486 Urgent Reminder Letters for FY2016 next week. USAC will send an email to the contact person on the FCC Form 471 informing them that the letter is available in the organization’s News tab in EPC. As a reminder, if you have received a positive funding commitment from USAC, the next step is to file an FCC Form 486, Receipt of Service Confirmation and Children's Internet Protection Act Certification Form, no later than 120 days after services have started. If this date is missed, USAC will adjust the service start reported on the FCC Form 486 to the date 120 days before the certification date of the FCC Form 486 and will not pay invoices for services delivered before the adjusted date. To avoid missing your 120-day deadline, look for the FCC Form 486 Urgent Reminder Letter. The letter is sent based on the service start date the applicants reported on...

E-rate Filing Window Opens February 27, 2017 The E-rate application window for the 2017–18 funding year will open on Monday, February 27, 2017 at 12:00 noon EST and close on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST. The last possible date to submit an FCC Form 470 to start the E-rate bidding process is April 13, 2017. DEADLINE: Entity Profile Updates in the E-rate Productivity Center The Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) addressed the unique steps required this year for applying for E-rate in their February 3, 2017 Special Edition News Brief.  This News Brief can be found on the SLD’s Web page at http://www.usac.org/sl/tools/news-briefs/preview.aspx?id=746.  There has been a significant change in the E-rate process that has resulted in a new deadline. This new deadline is associated with each Local Education Agency (LEA) updating their school profiles in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC). The deadline for making these changes is 11:59 p.m. (EST) February 26, 2017. The USAC will “lock” the profiles after the deadline. It is important that the data contained in each entity’s profile match the official data for California schools. This match is intended as an aid in the Program Integrity Review (PIA) process. To accomplish this, LEAs are encouraged to update the following in each site’s profile: 1.     Update the Entity name and address to match the California School Directory. http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/sd/index.asp 2.     Update the “Number of Fulltime Students” and the “Total Number of Students Eligible for National School Lunch Program (NSLP)” fields to match the CALPADS data from the 2016 collection period. This information should be available from your CALPADS Coordinator. 3.     Enter the full 14-digit County-District-School (CDS) number in the “State School Code” field, with no spaces or dashes. The CDS number can be found on the California School Directory at http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/sd/index.asp. a.     Some sites that do not have a CDS number may qualify as an Annex. If so, LEAs should create a “Customer Service Case” within the EPC to request the existing Billed Entity Number (BEN) for those sites be listed as “Inactive”, and then added as an Annex to the primary site that does have a CDS number. A detailed discussion of what constitutes an Annex can be found in the March 4, 2016 News Brief on USAC’s Web page at http://usac.org/sl/tools/news-briefs/preview.aspx?id=670 and the March 11, 2016 News Brief on USAC’s Web Page at http://usac.org/sl/tools/news-briefs/preview.aspx?id=671 4.     Verify the contact person’s information on the district’s profile. Since this person will receive communications from USAC, it is important that this be someone who has regular e-mail access and access to the LEA’s EPC account. Large LEAs may use the bulk upload feature of the EPC to upload a single spreadsheet containing the needed updates or corrections. To use this feature: 1.     Log in to the LEA’s EPC account. 2.     Select the parent entity on the landing page. This will take you to a view of the parent entity’s profile. 3.     From the menu on the left of the screen, select Related Actions. 4.     Scroll down and select...