Bulletins

Promoting Dialogue with Beneficiaries The Site Visit Outreach Initiative provides USAC with rich opportunities to interact with and learn from beneficiaries of Universal Service Fund support. Lessons taken from site visits help USAC enhance the application process, improve oversight over beneficiaries’ compliance with program rules, and introduce improvements to program administration practices. Site visit recipients receive support in fulfilling program requirements and provide substantive feedback on their experiences as USF beneficiaries.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of the E-Rate Service Providers Association (ESPA) will now have access to a state-of-the-art E-Rate online reporting and data tool as a result of a new licensing agreement between ESPA and E-Rate Central announced today.

WASHINGTON —A federal jury in San Francisco today convicted a former sales representative in California for her role in schemes to defraud the federal E-Rate program, announced the Department of Justice. Judy Green, of Temecula, Calif., was convicted on all charges in a 22-count indictment involving fraud, collusion, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy in connection with E-Rate projects at schools in seven states–Arkansas, California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.

Americans understand that fundamental changes must be made to the U.S. educational system if the country is to remain competitive in the 21st century, a report released by Cisco found. Americans especially realize the importance of adopting information technology to upgrade schools, connect communities and improve educational content, but they are often conflicted about these changes.

The Universal Service Fund (USF) provides funding for four support programs—High Cost, Low Income, Rural Health Care, and Schools and Libraries. The USF continues to bring access to communications technology to millions of Americans. This access has made a real difference for citizens and communities across this country. The USF is funded by contributions from providers of telecommunications and telecommunications services, including wireless and interconnected Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers. USAC administers the USF at the direction of the FCC.

WASHINGTON, DC (February 28, 2007) – From coast‐to‐coast, from economically challenged inner cities to remote rural areas, students, parents, educators, business leaders and communities have benefited from the E‐Rate, a ground‐breaking telecommunications program created in 1997 that provides deep discounts on telecommunications, Internet access and internal networking to America’s public and private schools as well as public libraries. A new report, “E‐Rate: 10 Years of Connecting Kids and Community,” released today by two education coalitions – the Education and Libraries Networks Coalition (EdLiNC) and the National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training (NCTET) – states that the E‐Rate has transformed America’s schools and libraries into modern institutions but that its mission is not yet complete.

It has now been over ten years since the E-Rate program was created as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and four years since the Education and Library Networks Coalition (EdLiNC) issued its last report: E-Rate — A Vision of Opportunity and Innovation.

WASHINGTON — A federal jury in McAllen, Texas, convicted the former president and owner of ATE Tel Solutions Inc., which does business as ATE Telecom Solutions Inc. (ATE Tel), on seven of nine counts of wire fraud in a scheme to defraud the federal E-Rate program, the Department of Justice announced today. Rafael G. Adame was convicted of submitting fraudulent applications for payment on behalf of ATE Tel to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). The indictment against Adame was returned on Dec. 6, 2006.

U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings is calling on the Baltimore school system to immediately resolve its problems with the federal E-Rate program, which provides discounts on technology to poor schools and libraries.

The Baltimore school system is embroiled in a controversy over whether a consultant it plans to hire to help secure more money from a federal school technology program has a conflict of interest.

WASHINGTON – The state of Indiana and the Intelenet Commission, an entity controlled by the state of Indiana, have agreed to pay the United States nearly $8.3 million as a civil settlement relating to allegations of making false claims and false statements in connection with the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) E-Rate program, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced today.

A former South Carolina school official has been indicted on mail and wire fraud charges in connection with a U.S. government program intended to bring the Internet to schools and libraries in poor areas, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

The federal government's ongoing probe into E-Rate fraud nabbed another conviction Wednesday with the guilty plea of California-based Premio, which agreed to $400,000 in criminal fines and $1.3 million in restitution as part of the civil settlement.

Congress has extended for an additional year an exemption of budget rules governing the federal E-rate program, which supports telecommunications services in schools and libraries. A one-year exemption passed in 2004 was scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

The FCC issued the following Order addressing waivers on filing various forms, including SPIs.

The Federal Communications Commission is studying a raft of potential changes to the $2.25 billion E-rate discount program, which helps schools afford telecommunications and Internet access. The program has been dogged for several years in Congress by controversy over whether it is prone to waste and fraud.

Requests for eRate discounts have fallen for the second straight year. Nearly 40,000 applicants requested a total of $3.65 billion in funding discounts in 2005, down about $600,000--or 15 percent--from last year, according to the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC).

"People have no clue how to get here," said Luana Esterline, manager of the quaint country store in the town. Offering a little bit of everything, the store is housed in the first building erected in Pettisville, back in the 19th century when the area was known for woods, water, wolves, and black bears.

Kevin J. Martin, President Bush’s choice to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) into a new era of digital transmissions, is a firm supporter of the eRate and other telecommunications programs that benefit education, according to an analysis of his voting record and public statements he has made as an FCC commissioner.

On April 15, 2005, the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) reported to the Federal Communications Commission that $3.65 billion in requested funding has been estimated for schools and libraries seeking E-rate discounts for Funding Year 2005.