Bulletins

How does a community that rails against the Web pull in $30 million in one year for its schools from the E-rate program?

Washington, D.C. – Today the FCC announced that savings from its comprehensive reform of Lifeline are on track to reach at least an additional $400 million in 2013, adding to the more than $214 million saved in 2012 by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.

U.S. Representative George Miller (CA) today introduced "The Transforming Education Through Technology Act" (H.R. 521) to help ensure the nation's elementary and secondary schools have access to the technology infrastructure, applications and professional support needed for digital learning and online assessment. Congressman Miller is Ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee, coauthor of the No Child Left Behind Act, and was recently recognized for his leadership in education technology.

Internet Cafes Get Cash. But What Makes Them Libraries? Down a gritty dead-end alley in ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn, past a loading dock and a couple of dumpsters, a set of stairs leads up to a small room with bare walls and a dozen computers.

The federal government wants to create super WiFi networks across the nation, so powerful and broad in reach that consumers could use them to make calls or surf the Internet without paying a cellphone bill every month.

Joshua sometimes does his homework at a McDonald's restaurant—not because he is drawn by the burgers, but because the fast-food chain is one of the few places in this southern Alabama city of 4,000 where he can get online access free once the public library closes.

In this order, we release the eligible services list (ESL) for funding year 2013 for the schools and libraries universal service support program (more commonly referred to as the E-rate program)1 and authorize the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to open the annual application filing window no earlier than November 26, 2012.2 We revise the ESL for funding year 2013 by consolidating all Priority One services into a single list to reduce regulatory and administrative burdens on applicants. We also make some other minor modifications to the ESL.

Background: The E-rate program provides eligible schools and libraries discounts for eligible services and products. Consistent with prior years, in each category the ESL first lists the services and products that are eligible for funding, and then lists the services and products that are not eligible for funding. Under the E-rate program, Erate funds are allocated according to rules of priority, with first priority given to requests for telecommunications services, telecommunications, and Internet access services; these services are listed in the "Priority One" section of the ESL. The remaining available funds are allocated to requests for support for internal connections and basic maintenance of internal connections; these services are listed in the "Priority Two" section of this ESL. There is also a Miscellaneous section, and at the end of this ESL, a Special Eligibility Conditions section and a Glossary, providing additional information and definitions for many of the terms used herein.

Reply Comments Regarding Petition for Clarification Pertaining to the Eligibility of Free VoIP Handsets and Other End-user Equipment

Pursuant to section 54.703(c) of the Commission’s rules, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks nominations for the following board member positions on the Board of Directors of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). The positions are currently vacant or will soon become vacant.

SECA Petition Seeking Clarification Regarding the Eligibility of Bundled End User Equipment under the Schools and Libraries Program DA 12-1325 and CC Docket No. 02-6

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the USAC Board have reviewed and approved USAC's proposed funding thresholds for FY2012 and FY2011 Priority 2 (Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections) funding requests. The FCC and the USAC Board have approved USAC to take the following actions:

PETITION FOR CLARIFICATION PERTAINING TO THE ELIGIBILITY OF FREE VoIP HANDSETS AND OTHER END-USER EQUIPMENT The State E-Rate Coordinators’ Alliance (SECA) respectfully seeks clarification of the extent to which E-rate rules permit service providers to bundle ineligible end-user devices with E-rate eligible services and still have the underlying Priority 1 service be 100% E-rate eligible.

Pursuant to section 54.709(a)(3) of the Commission’s rules,1 on April 26, 2012, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) submitted projections of demand and Administrative expenses for the federal Universal Service Fund for the third quarter of 2012. According to USAC's projections, $400 million in unused funds from funding years 2003-2010 is available to carry forward to increase disbursements to schools and libraries via the E-rate program, more formally known as the schools and libraries universal service program.3 In addition, while preparing projections of demand and administrative expenses for the federal Universal Service Fund for the fourth quarter of 2012, USAC identified another $650 million available to be carried forward, for a total of $1.050 billion in funding available for funding year 2012.4 Section 54.507(a)(3) of the Commission’s rules states that "[a]ll funds collected that are unused shall be carried forward into subsequent funding years for use in the [E-rate program] in accordance with the public interest and notwithstanding the annual cap."

The State E-Rate Coordinators' Alliance (SECA) submits these Comments in response to the FCC's Public Notice released July 5, 2012 (designated DA 12-1052) seeking comment on USAC's proposed Eligible Services List ("ESL") for Funding Year 2013.

The E-rate program provides eligible schools and libraries discounts for eligible services and products. Consistent with prior years, in each category the ESL first lists the services and products that are eligible for funding, and then lists the services and products that are not eligible for funding. This ESL consolidates all the existing eligible Priority One services grouped into three functional categories: communications connectivity, voice services, and other designated or related services.

Administrator FY 2011 Funding Denials for Untimely Filed Item 21 Attachments CC Docket No. 02-6

Washington, D.C. – The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will release a record wave of funding commitment decision letters (FCDLs) to Funding Year 2012 (FY 2012) school and library applicants on July 10, 2012. USAC will send over 23,800 letters committing $646 million in universal service support. The FCDLs will notify applicants of funding commitments for Priority One services (telecommunications and Internet access) for all discount bands from 20% to 90%.

BOSTON -- The head of the Federal Communications Commission said he supports cable companies' charging for Internet based on how much a subscriber uses the service, and also welcomed a cable industry initiative to share Wi-Fi hotspots around the country.

Tel/Logic Inc., d.b.a. E-Rate Central, submits these Reply Comments in response to the FCC's Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released February 6, 2012 designated DA 10-1248, in part seeking comment on a proposal to establish a digital literacy training program.

At the dawn of the Internet era, Congress set out to avert a digital divide between rich and poor students. In a landmark bill, lawmakers required the nation’s phone companies to provide bargain voice and data rates to schools and to subsidize the cost of equipment and services, with the biggest subsidies going to the schools with the most disadvantaged children.

A new commission that will author a blueprint on how to harness technology as a catalyst for educational reform will do so with support from the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Communications Commission.

WASHINGTON — A former owner of two Illinois-based technology companies was sentenced today to serve 30 months in prison for her participation in a conspiracy to defraud the federal E-Rate program, the Department of Justice announced. Gloria Harper was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier.

The FCC/DOE’s Digital Learning Collaborative, of which E-Rate Central is a member, releases the “Digital Textbook Playbook” designed to help educators tackle the major barriers to the adoption of e-textbooks.