From Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org Mon Aug 2 16:22:37 2010 From: Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org (Carson, Sabrina) Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 16:22:37 -0700 Subject: [Erate] E-Rate Central News of the Week for July 26, 2010 Message-ID: <06D9FD985A42704BB0E8F483ACA3FE2E3F7315AAF5@miranda.wesd.org> Catching up from my vacation? See the attached newsletter for articles on: * Funding Status. Wave 10 for FY 2010 will be released this week. USAC is proposing to finalize the Priority 2 threshold for FY 2009 at 77%. * FCC NPRM on E-Rate Program Revisions ? Reverse NIMBY Comments. Everyone agrees that there is not enough E-rate money to fund all demand, but few are willing to propose changes to eligible services or the discount matrix to redistribute funding more equitably. * E-Rate Updates and Reminders. The 2010-2011 NSLP income level guidelines for remain at 2009-2010 levels "until further notice." Reply comments for the FCC's E-rate NPRM are due July 26th. Comments on revisions to Form 470 and Form 471 are due July 30th. The SLD's fall training still has openings in six locations. * Schools and Libraries News Brief dated July 23 ? Electronic Payments to Vendors. Effective August 31st, USAC will only make electronic payments to service providers. Applicants requesting BEAR reimbursements are unlikely to receive payments unless and until their vendors have provided the required electronic banking information. Sabrina Carson e-Rate and Procurement Customer Support Willamette Education Service District 2611 Pringle Rd SE Salem, OR 97302 P: 503.540.4495 F: 503.540.2962 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Week_7_26 - SECA.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 107520 bytes Desc: Week_7_26 - SECA.doc URL: From Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org Mon Aug 2 16:23:41 2010 From: Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org (Carson, Sabrina) Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 16:23:41 -0700 Subject: [Erate] E-Rate Central News of the Week for August 2, 2010 Message-ID: <06D9FD985A42704BB0E8F483ACA3FE2E3F7315AAF8@miranda.wesd.org> See the attached newsletter for articles on: * Funding Status. Wave 11 for FY 2010 and Wave 61 for FY 2009 will be released this week. * FCC NPRM on E-Rate Program Revisions ? Last Week's Activities. At least 22 parties filed reply comments on the FCC's E-rate NPRM and at least 3 parties filed comments on the proposed interim revisions to Forms 470 and 471. FCC staff initiated a number of teleconferences with NPRM comment filers. * E-Rate Updates and Reminders. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Lee Terry (R-NE) introduced the Universal Service Reform Act of 2010. The SLD's fall training still has openings in six locations. * Schools and Libraries News Brief dated July 30 ? Writing Appeals. The SLD reviewed the keys steps in filing USAC or FCC appeals. Sabrina Carson e-Rate and Procurement Customer Support Willamette Education Service District 2611 Pringle Rd SE Salem, OR 97302 P: 503.540.4495 F: 503.540.2962 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Week_8_02 - SECA.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 111104 bytes Desc: Week_8_02 - SECA.doc URL: From Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org Mon Aug 9 10:26:43 2010 From: Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org (Carson, Sabrina) Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 10:26:43 -0700 Subject: [Erate] E-Rate Central News of the Week for August 9, 2010 Message-ID: <06D9FD985A42704BB0E8F483ACA3FE2E3F7330B344@miranda.wesd.org> See the attached newsletter for articles on: * Funding Status. Wave 12 for FY 2010 and Wave 62 for FY 2009 will be released this week. * E-Rate and FOIA. Two recent FCC decisions highlight the difficulties E-rate applicants and service providers face in attempting to obtain information from USAC under the Freedom of Information Act. * E-Rate Updates and Reminders. NSLP Income Eligibility Guidelines finalized for 2010-2011. The best guess for new FCC rules affecting FY 2011 is September 16. Form 470s filed before July cannot be used for tariff and MTM services in FY 2011.The SLD's fall training still has openings in six locations. * Schools and Libraries News Brief dated August 6 ? Electronic Banking. USAC provided tips for service providers updating their SPIN information to meet the electronic payment requirement going into effect August 31. Sabrina Carson e-Rate and Procurement Customer Support Willamette Education Service District 2611 Pringle Rd SE Salem, OR 97302 P: 503.540.4495 F: 503.540.2962 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Week_8_09 - SECA.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 112640 bytes Desc: Week_8_09 - SECA.doc URL: From Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org Tue Aug 17 08:49:34 2010 From: Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org (Carson, Sabrina) Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:49:34 -0700 Subject: [Erate] E-Rate Central News of the Week for August 16, 2010 Message-ID: <06D9FD985A42704BB0E8F483ACA3FE2E3F733DEDF0@miranda.wesd.org> See the attached newsletter for articles on: * Funding Status. Wave 13 for FY 2010 and Wave 63 for FY 2009 will be released this week. * USAC's New Payment Quality Assurance Initiative. Selective applicants have begun receiving "PQA" requests for documentation on specific invoice payments. This is the keystone of a new effort to comply with statistical requirements of the Improper Payments Information Act ("IPIA"), but should be treated as mini-audits by those randomly targeted. * E-Rate Updates and Reminders. The service provider deadline for updating SPIN information for electronic payments in August 31. Last week's FCC appeal decision upholds USAC stricter rules on post-RAL application changes. The target date for any FCC E-rate changes affecting FY 2011 is September 16. The SLD has resumed PIN assignments for new signers. Six of the SLD's fall training workshops are still open for enrollment. * Schools and Libraries News Brief dated August 13 ? Non-Recurring Services. This is Part 1 of a discussion of non-recurring services, focusing this week on automatic and requested extensions of service delivery deadlines. Sabrina Carson e-Rate and Procurement Customer Support Willamette Education Service District 2611 Pringle Rd SE Salem, OR 97302 P: 503.540.4495 F: 503.540.2962 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Week_8_16 - SECA.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 116224 bytes Desc: Week_8_16 - SECA.doc URL: From Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org Mon Aug 23 09:03:28 2010 From: Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org (Carson, Sabrina) Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:03:28 -0700 Subject: [Erate] E-Rate Central News for the Week of August 23, 2010 Message-ID: <06D9FD985A42704BB0E8F483ACA3FE2E3F73577EEE@miranda.wesd.org> See the attached newsletter for articles on: * Funding Status. Wave 14 for FY 2010 and Wave 64 for FY 2009 will be released this week. The final Priority 2 funding threshold for FY 2009 is 77%. * Overview of Net Neutrality Issues. Net neutrality, while not directly related to E-rate, is a hot issue that may affect various aspects of the FCC?s National Broadband Plan. This article summarizes both sides of the debate. * E-Rate Updates and Reminders. $1.8 billion in new ARRA broadband grants have been awarded. HP?s acquisition of 3Com has led to product number changes. The service provider deadline for updating SPIN information for electronic payments in August 31. The target date for any FCC E-rate changes affecting FY 2011 is September 16. Six of the SLD's fall training workshops are still open for enrollment. * Schools and Libraries News Brief dated August 20 ? Non-Recurring Services, Part 2. This portion of the discussion of non-recurring services focuses on contract extensions. Sabrina Carson e-Rate and Procurement Customer Support Willamette Education Service District 2611 Pringle Rd SE Salem, OR 97302 P: 503.540.4495 F: 503.540.2962 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Week_08_23-SECA.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 111616 bytes Desc: Week_08_23-SECA.doc URL: From Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org Mon Aug 30 08:54:30 2010 From: Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org (Carson, Sabrina) Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:54:30 -0700 Subject: [Erate] E-Rate Central News of the Week for August 30, 2010 Message-ID: <06D9FD985A42704BB0E8F483ACA3FE2E3F7364A31A@miranda.wesd.org> See the attached newsletter for articles on: * Funding Status. Wave 15 for FY 2010 will be released this week. No funding for FY 2009 is scheduled. * E-Rate Updates and Reminders. The SLD has released additional information on the new Payment Quality Assurance ("PQA") Program. The service provider deadline for updating SPIN information for electronic payments in August 31. The target date for any FCC E-rate changes affecting FY 2011 is September 23. Six of the SLD's fall training workshops are still open for enrollment. * Schools and Libraries News Brief dated August 27. This News Brief is Part 1 of a series discussing the need for filing service substitution requests for any changes to be made in products or services approved for funding. Sabrina Carson e-Rate and Procurement Customer Support Willamette Education Service District 2611 Pringle Rd SE Salem, OR 97302 P: 503.540.4495 F: 503.540.2962 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Week_8_30 - SECA.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 111104 bytes Desc: Week_8_30 - SECA.doc URL: From Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org Tue Aug 31 14:01:16 2010 From: Sabrina.Carson at wesd.org (Carson, Sabrina) Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:01:16 -0700 Subject: [Erate] Update on the SOEN Contract and Guidance from USAC Message-ID: <06D9FD985A42704BB0E8F483ACA3FE2E3F7374CECA@miranda.wesd.org> Many of you have been waiting patiently (thank you) for information on how to complete your FRN's that include the State Replacement Contract SPIN for the SOEN Contract. Here is the latest: DAS and Qwest have agreed on the key terms of the extension. They are working on another temporary extension in order to allow time for the final documents to be drafted and executed. We should be able to see the new temporary expiration date on ORPIN soon. In the meantime, I was able to explain the situation to USAC management, and they have advised us to file our 486's on our SOEN FRN's (and any other FRN's that still need the 486 to be filed) and then WAIT to change the SPIN to Qwest until the final extension has been executed. This way, when we enter the contract expiration dates, etc., we will be using the correct dates and not temporary ones. This will NOT affect funding for months prior to the date that you correct the FRN. Waiting will also eliminate the need to split FRN's or perform other confusing and time consuming application tasks. The one drawback to this approach is that applicants will not be able to file BEAR forms against those FRN's until the process is complete. For those of you that usually file BEARS monthly or quarterly, this will delay your reimbursements from USAC for the first few months of the funding year, but the confusion that you will be spared will hopefully be worth it. In other words, we have been advised to file our 486's and then sit tight until DAS and Qwest complete their contract extension activities. I will continue to monitor the situation and as soon as they execute the extension, I will release the final steps to completing your applications. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me any time. Sabrina Carson e-Rate and Procurement Customer Support Willamette Education Service District 2611 Pringle Rd SE Salem, OR 97302 P: 503.540.4495 F: 503.540.2962 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: