Transcript Slides: E-rate for Beginners

E-Rate for Libraries
Donna Mattingly, E-Rate Central
Greg Weisiger, E-Rate Central
Agenda
• What is E-Rate?
• E-Rate Categories of Service
• E-Rate Timeline
• Technology Planning
• Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
• Applying for E-Rate
• Form 470 (Example)
• E-Rate Resources
• Questions?
Poll Question
[Please indicate your answer in the poll at right]
Have you applied for E-rate?
 Yes, in the past year
 Yes, in the past 3 years
 My library has, but I haven't been a part of the
application process
 No, never applied
What is E-Rate?
• Discounts on telecommunications, Internet Access, Internal
Connections and Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections
• Schools and libraries are eligible
• Discounts range from 20–90%, the amount of discount depends on
the level of poverty and location of the school or library (urban or
rural) receiving services
• Average discount for libraries is about 70%
• Funding comes from the Universal Service Fees on your
telephone bills
• Regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
and administered by the Universal Service Administrative
Company (USAC)
What can E-Rate mean to
my library?
E-Rate Categories of Services
Priority One (P1) - Telecommunications Services
Examples:
 Local and Long Distance service
 Cellular Service
 Text messaging
 Web browsing
 Broadband Telecommunications, including service to Bookmobiles
 Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
 Taxes and fees
 Installation and configuration
E-Rate Categories of Service
Priority One (P1) - Internet Access
Examples:
 E-mail Service
 Wireless Internet Access for cell phones
 Broadband Internet Access
(From DSL to Ethernet)
 Web Hosting
 VoIP
E-rate Categories of Services
Priority Two (P2) – Internal Connections & Basic
Maintenance of Internal Connections
Examples of Internal Connections:
 Support for equipment and cabling on-site that transport information to
classrooms or public rooms of a library
 Does NOT include end-user components such as computers
 Subject to the Two-in-Five Rule
 Entities can only receive funding every two out of five years
Examples of Basic Maintenance:
 Repair and upkeep of eligible hardware
 Wire and cable maintenance
 Basic technical support
NOTE: Only highest discount libraries will qualify for P2
E-Rate Timeline for 2011
Technology Plan
• Only for Priority 2 Services
Request Services – Form 470
• By February 24th
Order Services – Form 471
• By March 24th
Receive Services – Form 486
• Typically by October 29, 2011
Invoice USAC – Form 472
• Typically by October 28, 2012
Fund Year: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
Technology Plan
Requirements for FY 2011 and beyond:
 No longer required for Priority One Services;
Telecommunications and Internet Access
 Required for Priority Two Services;
Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance
 Four required elements: Clear Goals, Needs Assessment,
Staff Development, Evaluation
Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
Requirements of CIPA
 Technology Protection Measure, Filter Internet Access:
 images of child pornography (illegal)
 visual depictions that are obscene (local norms)
 harmful to minors (local norms)
 Internet Safety Policy must address:
 Minors’ access to inappropriate material
 safety and security of minors when online
 unauthorized access and unlawful activities by minors online
 disclosure and dissemination of minors’ personal information
 protection measure (filter)
 Public Notice and Hearing
 CIPA Compliance only required for Internet Access and P2 funding
Applying for E-rate
 Obtain a Billed Entity Number (BEN):
Call the SLD at 1-888-203-8100
 Obtain a registration number from the FCC (FCC RN):
https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/coresWeb/publicHome.do
 Apply online Form 470 and 471:
http://www.sl.universalservice.org/menu.asp
Form 470: Who I Am and What I Want
The “Who I Am and What I Want” form begins the
competitive process:
• Must be filed by the entity that is able to negotiate and sign contracts on
•
•
•
•
behalf of the school or library
Identify and describe your desired categories of service and the function
of the services
Notify potential bidders (service providers) of the types and quantities
of services that you need
Follow all applicable state and local procurement laws
Wait 28 days after the Form 470 is posted to the USAC website or after
public availability of your Request for Proposals (RFP), whichever is
later, before selecting a vendor or executing a contract
Your Form Identifier
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Billed Entity Number
(BEN) from SLD
X
Priority 1 services only
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Next Steps after the Form 470
• Wait 28 days after the Form 470 is posted
• Keep all incoming bids/correspondence with bidders and prepare to
evaluate bids equally
Price as the primary factor – when evaluating bids, the price of E-Rate eligible services
must be the most heavily-weighted factor in your evaluation of bids
Sample Evaluation Sheet:
Price of the ELIGIBLE goods and services
Prior experience
Personnel qualifications
State, Cooperative, GSA Master Contract
Local Vendor
TOTAL
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
100%
• Calculate the library’s Discount Level using local school Free and
Reduced Lunch figures
• Submit Form 471 by March 24, 2011 deadline
Keys to Success
 Start early – little issues can slow you down
 Plan a strategy
 Save everything – a good filing system goes a long
way
 Ask questions, use E-rate resources
 Attend the Form 471 webinar on March 15th
E-Rate Resources
E-Rate Central, Donna M. Mattingly [email protected]
(804) 302-4406
E-Rate Central, Greg Weisiger [email protected]
(804) 302-4406
E-Rate Central Website: http://www.e-ratecentral.com/default.asp
Universal Service Administrative Company: http://www.universalservice.org/sl
Federal Communications Commission: http://www.fcc.gov
E-Rate State Coordinators: http://www.e-ratecentral.com/us/default.asp
Questions?
Stay Involved
March 15 Webinar
E-rate: Form 471 and Beyond!
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