E-Rate News

  • Follow KSLLC on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@kelloggllc

     

  • KSLLC to present at OTA Conference 2/8/2012. Jane Kellogg, Debi Sovereign, Mel Van Patten and Ashlee Thompson with Kellogg & Sovereign Consulting will be presenting E-Rate Best Practices for 2012: Filing tips, PIA strategies, Navigating new rules, and future planning at the 2012 Oklahoma Technology Association/Encyclo-Media Conference. Session will be held Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 1:30-2:30 pm in room 14. For conference registration information, see: http://www.oktech.org/domain/6

     

  • USAC Funding Status
    Recent E-rate funding waves are scheduled as follows:
    1. FY 2011: Wave 32, January 31, 2012. Includes funding for priority two requests at 90% discount levels. Also includes priority one requests at all discount levels. FY 2011 commitments to date total just over $1.6 billion.
    2. FY 2010: Wave 84, February 1, 2012 includes requests for approved priority two internal connections & maintenance) at ALL discount levels. Commitments to date total over $2.96 billion.
    See how to look up your funding: www.kelloggllc.com/funding.aspx

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  • KSLLC Posts First Form 471 for 2012! Kellogg & Sovereign posted our first Form 471 for the 2012-13 filing season on January 9, 2012. Pontotoc Technology Center in Ada, OK was the first application filed for the year! Congratulations to Susie Overturf and the PTC team!

     

  • FY2012 Filing Window Announced

    The Form 471 application filing window for E-rate Funding Year 2012-13 will open at noon on Monday, January 9, 2012 and will close at 11:59 pm EDT on Tuesday, March 20, 2012. The filing window will be open for 72 days.  FCC Forms 470 for FY 2012-13 must be posted online no later than Tuesday, February 21, 2012.  Paper copies of the Form 470 must be filed by Tuesday, February 14, 2012.  Item 21 attachments must be filed online or submitted electronically to USAC no later than March 20, 2012.

     

  • FCC Releases 2012 FINAL Eligible Services List (09/28/2011) FY 2012 Eligible Services List
    The 2012 Eligible Services List includes minor changes and other edits to provide clarifications or additional information only and did not change the eligibility status of any services in the Erate program. For detail of changes, see:FCC Public Notice Releasing Draft ESL for 2012 and requesting comments.

     

  • IRS Clarifies tax-free treatment of employer-provided cell phones(09/14/2011) IR-2011-93
    The Notice provides guidance on the treatment of employer-provided cell phones as an excludible fringe benefit. The Notice provides that when an employer provides an employee with a cell phone primarily for noncompensatory business reasons, the business and personal use of the cell phone is generally nontaxable to the employee. The IRS will not require recordkeeping of business use in order to receive this tax-free treatment.

     

  • FCC Authorizes Additional Funds - includes P2 for FY 2010 at ALL levels (8/22/2011). The FCC's Funds for Learning order accelerates disbursements of E-rate funding reserves so that more schools and libraries can upgrade their access to broadband services this year. The FCC granted in part the petition filed by Funds for Learning (FFL) and directed the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to make funding commitments for priority two services at the 80 percent discount level for funding year 2010. On their own motion, the FCC reversed their previous decision to deny priority two funding below 80 percent and directed USAC to make available funds for FY 2010 priority two requests at all discount levels. The FCC also announced the carry forward of $850 million in reserved funds from the E-rate program to increase E-rate commitments for funding year 2011. According to the FCC, "These actions will expand opportunities for education and employment in many communities without increasing the size of the universal service fund." http://www.kelloggllc.com/docs/fcc/FCC-11-1354_FY2010P2.pdf (08/22/2011)

     

  • SECA Recommends E-Rate Reforms (8/19/2011) The State E-Rate Coordinators Alliance ("SECA") submitted an ex parte filing with the FCC to submit recommendations for E-rate reforms.http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7021703859

     

  • FCC Updates CIPA 8/11/2011 On August 11, 2011 the FCC released an order updating the existing Commission rules regarding CIPA to include the statutory language from the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act regarding the education of students about appropriate online behavior. Rules will be effective with E-Rate FY 2012-13 applications.http://www.kelloggllc.com/docs/fcc/FCC-11-125A1 CIPA Order 110811.pdf (08/11/2011)

     

  • FCC Announces 2011 E-Rate funding cap On August 5, 2011 the FCC announced that the E-rate funding cap for funding year 2011 is $2,290,683,250. The funding cap reflects an increase for inflation using the gross domestic product chain-type price index (GDP-CPI). The new cap represents a 0.9% inflation-adjusted increase from funding year 2010's $2,270,250,000 cap. See: http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0805/DA-11-1345A1.pdf

     

  • EDU 2011 Pilot Program. FCC order provides additional information on 20 projects selected to participate in the Learning On-The-Go wireless pilot program (also known as E-rate Deployed Ubiquitously (EDU) 2011 Pilot Program) and establishes reporting requirements that recipients must comply with during the trial period. http://www.kelloggllc.com/docs/fcc/DA-11-1181A1.pdf (07/11/2011)

     

  • E-Rate Workshops.  See our training page for service provider and applicant training opportunities and previously recorded sessions.

     

  • FCC Releases 2012 DRAFT Eligible Services List (06/24/2011)

     

  • New SPIN Change Rules Effective with FY 2011 Applications.Beginning with the 2011-12 E-rate applications, the FCC SPIN change rules will now be in effect. In the 6th Report & Order (6R&O), the FCC clarified the following regarding SPIN changes: "Therefore, to alleviate uncertainty regarding the types of SPIN changes that are permissible following a competitive bidding process, we clarify that once a contract for products or services is signed by the applicant and service provider, the applicant may not change to a different service provider unless (1) there is a legitimate reason to change providers (e.g., breach of contract or the service provider is unable to perform); and (2) the newly selected service provider received the next highest point value in the original bid evaluation, assuming there was more than one bidder." For further details, see: Federal Register Vol. 75, No 232, Friday December 3,2010 p. 75405

     

  • E-Rate Family Income Survey updated for 2011-12 school year. Income Eligibility tables for 2011-12 were released by the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service on 3/25/2011. KSLLC has updated our income survey forms to reflect the new tables. Use these surveys for E-Rate FY 2012-13 if you are using the alternative discount mechanism. For further details see: Income Survey for Erate FY 2012-13.

     

  • E-Rate Filing Window Closed March 24, 2011 - What's Next?
    The 2011-12 E-Rate Filing Window Closed March 24, 2011. KSLLC will be sending Item 21 attachment pages and copies of E-Rate related documentation to our E-Rate clients. Additionally, our client schools & libraries will need to have the E-rate Board Resolution for FY 2011 approved at your next governing board meeting. Technology Plans for 2011-12 will be due to us by the end of April, 2011 in order to receive approval by your state technology plan approver by July 1. Finally, make plans to attend our July seminars for applicants in Ada, Tulsa or OKC the third week of July. Service provider seminars will be scheduled in August.

     

  • USAC:SMARTnet NOT Eligible; CiscoBase IS(01/27/2010)
  • FCC Provides Clarifications, Effective Dates, and Q & A for E-Rate Broadband Order-6th Report & Order (12/15/2010).

     

  • E-Rate 6th Report & Order Effective January 3, 2011. The 6thR&O was published in the federal register 12/3/2010.  The Order includes the stricter SPIN change rules which only allow SPIN changes if the existing provider cannot provide the service. SPIN changes can only be made to the second bidder from the original E-rate bid evaluation for the applicable funding year. For further details, see: Federal Register Vol. 75, No 232, Friday December 3,2010 p. 75393

     

  • FCC E-Rate Deployed Ubiquitously (EDU)Pilot Program - Applications Due 12/17/2010.(11/08/10).
    The FCC is looking for schools and libraries that already are implementing or experimenting with wireless off-campus learning to provide the FCC with information about their projects. Applicants selected to participate in the EDU pilot program will be eligible for E-rate discounts for connectivity on the wireless devices used in their EDU program. Click on the following to download the full text:

     

  • FCC Issues E-Rate Broadband Order-6th Report & Order (09/28/2010).

     

  • Kellogg & Sovereign Posts Comments to FCC E-Rate NPRM (07/09/2010).
    See:KSLLC_NPRM_Comments 100709.pdf (KSLLC Comments submitted in response to FCC's E-Rate Notice of Proposed Rulemaking)

     

  • WCB Announces $900 Mil Carryover of Unused funds to E-Rate FY 2010 (07/01/2010).
    See:DA-10-1243A1.pdf  -FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau Public Notice July 1, 2010

     

  • FCC Gives School E-Rate Programs more Flexibility to Allow Community Use of Broadband Services (02/18/10).
    Washington D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission on 2/18/10 adopted an order that enables schools that receive funding from the E-rate program to allow members of the general public to use the schools’ Internet access during non-operating hours. The FCC also seeks comments on making a permanent ruling to allow for public use of underutilized services and equipment. For full details see:

     

  • Broadband Data Improvement Act (S. 1492) signed by President Bush 10/10/08. On September 30, 2008 Congress passed, as part of S. 1492, an update to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) which requires schools participating in the E-Rate program to educate students regarding appropriate behavior on social networking and chat room sites about cyberbullying. As a result, schools will need to update their Internet Acceptable Use Policy to state that it is "educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response."  GovTrack.us. S. 1492--110th Congress (2007): Broadband Data Improvement Act, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1492 (Sec. 215, accessed Oct 14, 2008)

     

  • OnLine Tech Plan Creator© can be used for preparing your district's 2011-2014 technology plan. This online technology planning tool will assist you in writing your plan and allow you to make sure your district's plan is aligned to E-Rate and NCLB requirements. Don't forget to submit your plan for approval by your state department of education. All plans covering E-Rate FY 2011-12 must be approved by July 1, 2011.
    See: Technology Planning
     
  • Schools & Libraries News Briefs 
     
  • E-Rate Central News of the Week
     
  • E-Rate Funding Commitments are released in "Waves" usually on a weekly basis beginning in May prior to the start of each funding year. Commitments can be viewed on the SLD Web Site: E-Rate Funding Waves 

     

© 2011 Kellogg & Sovereign Consulting, LLC
1101 Stadium Drive
Ada, OK 74820
Phone: (580) 332-1444
Fax: (580) 332-2532
Email: info@kelloggllc.com