E-rate Reminders: October 2021
Enrollment data, upcoming state reimbursements, and a new face on the team!
Keep this email handy, Dear Reader! There are a lot of deadlines and updates to cover on this newsletter. If you have questions about anything covered here, you can reply to this email or contact Daniel Vogt at dvogt@sde.idaho.gov; (208) 332-6993
NEWS
A New Team Member! Welcome Andrés Maldonado
The Broadband and E-rate Program team welcomes it’s new Program Specialist, Andrés Maldonado to the team! He will be supporting the program year-round including verifying and processing reimbursements.
FY2022 Training and Consultation Available
If you’re new to E-rate, the SDE has put together two introductory webinars to get started! Watch them now on the SDE’s YouTube Channel.
Schools and libraries interested in new construction or other Internet upgrades can consult with Daniel Vogt and William Lamb to discuss plans and available funding resources. Reply to this email to get started, or email broadband@sde.idaho.gov.
Your construction project may be eligible for 5-10% reimbursement through the Broadband Infrastructure Improvement Grant (B.I.I.G.). Eligible B.I.I.G. projects are then eligible for an additional 5-10% match by E-rate in addition to an applicant’s established discount rate! Upcoming Deadlines and Dates.
To become eligible for B.I.I.G. funding, applicants must contact the Program Coordinator before posting their Form 470 and RFP: Daniel Vogt; dvogt@sde.idaho.gov; (208) 332-6993
UPCOMING DEADLINES
10/26/2021 : Administrative Window Opens!
The EPC administrative window is the time for applicants to make updates to their EPC profile and prepare for the upcoming FY2022 Form 471 application filing window. The window closes (and profiles are locked) shortly before the FY2022 Form 471 application window opens (most likely in January 2022)
NSLP ENROLLMENT UPDATE: Per USAC—When applicants update their entity profiles in preparation for the FY2022 application filing window, they will be permitted to provide full-time enrollment numbers from their most recently approved FCC Form 471 profile information (FY2020 or FY2021).
If you have questions about this, please reply to this email or reach out to Daniel Vogt: dvogt@sde.idaho.gov; (208) 332-6993
10/28/2021 : Deadline to File BEAR Invoice or Request Extension
Thursday, 10/28/21 is the deadline to file BEAR reimbursement requests for FY2020 (ending 6/30/2021), or to request an extension.
How to Request an Invoice Deadline Extension:
On your EPC landing page, click the link to the billed entity record (the name in the "Welcome!" link near the top of the page or the first entry under the My Entities section).
Select the Related Actions menu and choose Invoice Deadline Date Extension Request.
Enter the FRN(s) you would like to extend, separated by commas.
Check the Check Eligibility button. All of the FRNs from your list that can be extended will appear on a grid.
Click Submit, and review the resulting News post for the results.
10/29/2021 : Deadline to File Form 486
If your FCDL is dated on or before July 1, 2021 and your service start date is July 1, 2021, then Friday 10/29/2021 is the first deadline to file an FCC Form 486. Generally, the Form 486 deadline is 120 days from the FCDL date or from the service start date (typically July 1st), whichever is later.
The Form 486 confirms the intend to use committed funds, declare the start of service for services or equipment funded by E-rate, and certifies your compliance with CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act).
11/01 — 12/15 : Submit Category 1 Invoices for SDE Reimbursement
Start gathering your Internet and WAN invoices! The Idaho State Department of Education reimburses the remaining portion of committed Category 1 funding requests twice per year: once in December, and again in June. For example, if your entity received a funding commitment of 60% for FY2021 Internet and WAN connections, then the SDE will reimburse the remaining 40%.
There is no seasonal deadline to submit invoices for reimbursements. However the sooner they are submitted, the sooner they will be processed. A December invoice does not need to be submitted to receive reimbursement for that month unless it is a different amount from the other invoices.
NOTE: Entities with Internet connections that exceed 1 Mbps per User may need to appeal the details of their procurement to receive full reimbursement. Read more about the reimbursement methodology by clicking here, or reply to this email to contact the program coordinator.
How to receive SDE reimbursement for your Internet and WAN connections
Receive a positive funding commitment for FY2021 Category 1 services
Email a copy of your invoices between July 2021 through November 2021 to broadband@sde.idaho.gov
Reimbursements will be processed throughout the month of December!
PROGRAM UPDATES
ECF Reimbursements Are Live
Invoicing is now available through the ECF Portal!
Reimbursements will be routed to what is on file on SAM.gov, not what is on file for E-rate, so please review that banking information before filing for reimbursements.
Service providers seeking access to the ECF Portal for invoicing purposes must first file a Form 498. Service providers should be aware that although the Form 498 asks for banking information, ECF disbursements will rely on the banking information stored in SAM.gov. Once a service provider’s Form 498 is processed, a nine-digit 498 ID number will be assigned and access will automatically be granted into the EPC Portal. Once logged into EPC, and having agreed to the terms and conditions, access into the ECF portal should be granted within 10 minutes.
Gift Rules Extension
The FCC released an Order (DA 21-1257) recently that partially granted a waiver request by Comcast and, more importantly, extended its E-rate gift rule waiver through June 30, 2022. Under last week’s Order, the FCC’s gift rules are now waived until June 30, 2022, for both the E‑rate and ECF programs. The gift rule exemption is also made explicitly applicable to Comcast’s Lift Zone program, but only through the same date.
The gift rule exception in the ECF Order was provided “with the hope that by the end of this coming school year, the pandemic-related needs of schools and libraries for broadband connections, devices and networking equipment will have, for the most part, been met.” However, the Order goes on to state: “Should that not be the case, affected parties will be able to seek a waiver of the gift rules, following the sunset of this exception.” Should the ECF waiver be expanded, which we hope COVID circumstances will not necessitate, we would expect similar action on the E-rate rules.