E-RATE: FUNDING YEAR 2015

DO WE APPLY?

Zeller and Associates, LLC

Presentation available at www.zellerandassociates.com/erate

WHO IS

Zeller and Associates, LLC

• There are two part-time associates • Retired Illinois educator • 24 year, 10 month association with West 40 • “Original” retirement: 2003

WHAT IS E-RATE?

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent U.S. government agency, established (1996) and oversees the E-rate program • Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), a not-for-profit, administers the E-rate program along with three other programs • Schools and Libraries Program (SL) is the part of USAC with responsibility for E-rate

WHAT DID E-RATE SUPPORT?

• Priority 1 (P1): funded first • • • Telecommunications Services Internet Access Telecommunications (leased dark fiber) • Priority 2 (P2): funding starts with neediest applicants • • Internal Connections Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections

“OLD” PRIORITY ONE

“NEW” CATEGORY ONE

Internet

Voice service phased out 20% per year

CATEGORY ONE: GONE FUNDING YEAR 2015 a.

Paging b.

Email c.

d.

Voice mail e.

Web hosting Directory assistance f.

g.

Text messaging Custom calling features h.

i.

j.

Direct inward dialing (“DID”) 900/976 call blocking Inside wire maintenance plans

CATEGORY ONE: GOING AWAY: 20%/YEAR a.

Local and long distance phone service (often referred to as “POTS”) b.

800 service c.

Satellite telephone d.

Centrex e.

Wireless telephone service (including cellular voice services) f.

Voice over IP g.

Circuits dedicated to providing voice services

CATEGORY ONE: NO 470 a.

it offers bandwidth speeds of at least 100 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream for a pre-discount price of $3,600 or less annually, including any one-time installation and equipment charges, and b.

the service and price are commercially available.

“OLD” PRIORITY TWO X X X

“NEW” CATEGORY TWO

CATEGORY TWO • Routers, • Switches, • wireless access points, • internal cabling, • Racks, • wireless controller systems, • firewall services, • uninterruptable power supply, and • the software supporting each of these components

CATEGORY TWO • caching functionality as an internal connection eligible for support in funding years 2015 and 2016.

CATEGORY TWO: SUPPORT CAPS, FLOOR • Pre-discount cap of $150/student over a five year period • Pre-discount funding floor of $9,200 (less than 62 students) • Pre-discount cap of $30/student for basic maintenance

CATEGORY TWO: WLAN BASIC MAINTENANCE • For funding years 2015 and 2016, basic maintenance services and managed Wi-Fi are eligible for category two support.

E-RATE MODERNIZATION RESOURCES • USAC SLD Site (Draft Eligible Services List) • Schools and Libraries Program News Brief Special Edition (8/12/2014) • E-Rate Central • Funds for Learning

HOW MUCH OF A DISCOUNT CAN WE GET?

3 WAYS TO DETERMINE FRL COUNT • Monthly Claims • CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) • Survey ( e-Rate Central’s Sample )

NEXT STEPS • Form 470 Session: after October 13 th • Form 471 Session: after Winter Break

INVOICE REVIEW

Zeller and Associates, LLC

• www.zellerandassociates.com/erate • [email protected]

• V: 847.828.4606

• F: 847.729.5240