Funding Status
The Schools and Libraries Committee of the USAC Board met last week and approved a staff recommendation that the FY 2014 application window open on or after January 8, 2014, and close “commensurate with past practice.” If, in fact, the window does open on January 8th, we would expect the window to close on or about March 18th. The critical timing issue for opening the window may be the approval and the online implementation of the revised Form 471. Approval of the new Form 471 currently hinges on OMB approval, public comments for which are due November 25th. A formal announcement of the filing window period is expected later this November.
Wave 25 for FY 2013 will be released on Wednesday, November 6, 2013, for $58.7 million. Funding is currently being provided for Priority 1 services only. Cumulative funding for FY 2013 will be $1.29 billion.
Wave 67 for FY 2012 will be released on Thursday, November 7, 2013, for $928 thousand. Priority 2 funding is being provided at 90%, and is being denied at 89% and below. Cumulative funding for FY 2012 will be $2.79 billion.
E-Rate Updates and Reminders
E-Rate 2.0 NPRM Reply Comments:
Reply comments to the FCC’s E-Rate 2.0 NPRM — more formally known as the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Modernizing the E-rate Program for Schools and Libraries (FCC 13-100) — are due by November 8, 2013.
Both initial and reply comments filed to date are available on the FCC website, accessible through the ECFS Search screen(enter “13-184” in the Proceeding Number field, and push “Enter”). So far, most of the reply comments received have been less than one page urging the FCC to increase funding for E-rate.
Senate Confirms New FCC Commissioners:
Last week, the Senate confirmed the nominations of Tom Wheeler as the new Chairman of the FCC and Michael P. O’Rielly as the fifth Commissioner.
October Deadlines:
Technically, the invoicing deadline for recurring FY 2012 services was last Monday, October 28th. This year, for the first time, the FCC instructed USAC to issue automatic one-year invoice deadline extensions to any applicant or service provider missing this deadline. Practically, therefore, the deadline for FY 2012 recurring service invoices is October 28, 2014.
The most common Form 486 deadlines for early FY 2013 funding waves 1-7 were last week. The November deadlines, based on the requirement to file Form 486s by the later of 120 days from FCDL issuance or the start of service, are:
Wave 8 11/07/2013
Wave 9 11/13/2013
Wave 10 11/20/2013
SLD Fall Training:
The SLD will conclude its 2013 fall training for applicants this week with workshops in Los Angeles on November 5th and in Portland on November 7th. The agenda and presentation slides for the workshops are posted on the SLD website.
Schools and Libraries News Brief Dated November 1 – Service Substitutions, cont.
The SLD News Brief for November 1, 2013, continues last week’s discussion on service substitutions. This week’s News Brief discusses:
- Additional examples of allowable and unallowable service substitutions
- Discontinued products whereby the manufacturers or service providers can request “global” service substitutions
- Deadlines for requesting service substitutions — generally the last day to receive service
- Suggestions to assist USAC in processing service substitution requests