[OPLINTECH] Fwd: SL News Brief SPECIAL EDITION - E-rate FY2019 Application Filing Window Opens January 16, 2019

Thu Dec 27 08:57:01 EST 2018

Hello all--

As you can see in the email below: the window for filing your eRate Form
471 is Wednesday, January 16, 2019, at 12:00 noon EST through Wednesday,
March 27, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. This means that the last day to file a
Form 470 for services that start July 1, 2019 will be February 27, 2019.

To support you, OPLIN will be having two webinars on how to file the Form
471:

SELECTING SERVICES FOR BRANCH INTERNET CONNECTIONS: FILING FORM 471
January 22, 2-3pm
To register, please visit:
https://ceohio.evanced.info/signup/eventdetails?eventid=1106&lib=1009

SELECTING SERVICES FOR INTERNAL LIBRARY NETWORKS: FILING FORM 471
February 4, 2-3pm
To register, please visit:
https://ceohio.evanced.info/signup/eventdetails?eventid=1107&lib=1009

Please let me know if you have any questions,

Mandy Knapp
Digital Resources Manager
Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
Phone:  614-728-5252
Fax:  614 -728 -5256

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: SL News Brief <NoReply at usac.org>
Date: Fri, Dec 21, 2018 at 4:42 PM
Subject: SL News Brief SPECIAL EDITION - E-rate FY2019 Application Filing
Window Opens January 16, 2019
To: <mandy at oplin.ohio.gov>

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*December 21, 2018*

*E-rate Funding Year 2019 Application Filing Window Opens January 16, 2019*

Dear E-rate Participant:

I am pleased to announce the Funding Year (FY) 2019 FCC Form 471
application filing window will open on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, at
12:00 noon EST and will close on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at 11:59 p.m.
EDT.

Applicants can begin preparing now for the successful filing of their
FY2019 funding applications by taking the following steps:

   - *Install Browser Updates:* Google Chrome is the recommended browser
   for the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC)
   <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=54941870&msgid=243515&act=P2Z0&c=1535322&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usac.org%2Fsl%2Ftools%2Fepc%2Fdefault.aspx%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dsl-news-brief%26utm_content%3Dsl-newsbrief-20181221>,
   but no matter which browser you use, be sure the latest version is
   installed on your computer.

   - *Establish Account and User Rights:* If this is your first year
   participating in the E-rate Program, call our Client Service Bureau at
   888-203-8100 to create your account in EPC. If you already have an EPC
   account, log in and review, update and/or assign user rights for persons
   who will need access for FY2019.

   - *Update Your EPC Profile Now:* To ensure a smoother filing process, *EPC
   profiles will lock on January 15, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. EST. *You will not
   be able to make changes to your EPC profile after that date. So, please log
   in to your EPC account now to make any necessary changes to your profile.
   The December 7 SL News Brief includes important reminders for updating
   your profile.

   - *Proceed With Competitive Bidding:* If you have not started the
competitive
   bidding process
   <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=54941870&msgid=243515&act=P2Z0&c=1535322&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usac.org%2Fsl%2Fapplicants%2Fstep01%2Fdefault.aspx%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dsl-news-brief%26utm_content%3Dsl-newsbrief-20181221>
   by filing your FCC Form 470
   <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=54941870&msgid=243515&act=P2Z0&c=1535322&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usac.org%2Fsl%2Fapplicants%2Fstep01%2Fform-470.aspx%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dsl-news-brief%26utm_content%3Dsl-newsbrief-20181221>,
   please begin now. Remember that you must wait 28 days
   <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=54941870&msgid=243515&act=P2Z0&c=1535322&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usac.org%2Fsl%2Fapplicants%2Fstep01%2Fwaiting-period.aspx%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dsl-news-brief%26utm_content%3Dsl-newsbrief-20181221>
   after filing the FCC Form 470 before entering into an agreement and filing
   your application. For FY2019, you must certify your FCC Form 470 on or
   before February 27 to wait 28 days and then certify your FCC Form 471
   before the window closes.

As always, we are here to help. Contact our Client Service Bureau at
888-203-8100 for assistance or open a customer service case in EPC.

This will be the 21st E-rate Program application filing window, and through
the years we have worked together to improve the E-rate experience in the
following ways:

*Funding decisions*

In FY2018, we received 35,000 applications for a total of $2.77 billion.
Within 30 days of the window closing, USAC issued the first FY2018 funding
commitment wave, which included 15,000 applications – 43% of the
applications that were filed in the window – and over $503 million in
funding requests. By the beginning of June, we had committed $1 billion on
18,000 applications. With your help, we continued to issue commitments at
an accelerated pace through the summer and issued Funding Commitment
Decision Letters (FCDLs) to 98% of the workable applications by the end of
September.

We are dedicated to continuing to review applications and issue commitments
efficiently in FY2019.

*Implementing program participant suggestions*

In 2018, we requested your suggestions to improve our E-rate information
technology systems and program participant trainings. We made a number of
improvements in our online systems, and we used your feedback to redesign
our FCDLs to make them more accessible and easier to read.

Also based on your feedback, we developed participant training for all
experience levels, including beginner level webinars, a half-day beginner
session preceding each of our in-person training events, and beginner and
advanced learning tracks as part of our full-day training events.

*Creating online training*

Today, we are launching the first of a new online training series
<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=54941870&msgid=243515&act=P2Z0&c=1535322&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usac.org%2Fsl%2Fabout%2Foutreach%2Fapplicant-training-series.aspx%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dsl-news-brief%26utm_content%3Dsl-newsbrief-20181221>
which provides an online learning option for those program participants who
were unable to attend our fall training events or who want a refresher. We
encourage you to view the offerings in this series and let us know what you
think. Please continue to share your feedback through our in-person
trainings, our webinars, and our Share Your E-rate Technical System Ideas
<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=54941870&msgid=243515&act=P2Z0&c=1535322&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fforms%2Fd%2Fe%2F1FAIpQLSdYTg3Qa1RGjR1gD5E5ofdSfcw6F9d1Mus8L8xDjCwLd1iiLw%2Fviewform>
page to help us continue to improve the program.

*New business process vendor*

As we look toward 2019, we are committed to strengthening the E-rate
experience for participants. As many of you know, USAC is transitioning to
a new vendor to support E-rate business process operations. All review
activities, including program integrity assurance (PIA), appeals, funding
commitment waves and payments, will continue during the transition. We
appreciate your cooperation during this time and will continue to provide
any information and updates as necessary.

As this year draws to a close, I'm grateful for all of the people who make
E-rate a reality for students and library patrons across the country.
Whether you are an applicant, a service provider, a consultant, or a state
coordinator, your work matters in the lives of students and community
members, allowing them to learn, grow, and thrive in an ever-evolving
digital world. I look forward to continuing to work together, and you have
my full commitment that USAC will administer the E-rate Program in a way
that benefits from your participation and feedback.

Sincerely,

Catriona Ayer
Acting Vice President, Schools and Libraries Division

*Contact Us!*

If you need assistance, please contact the Client Service Bureau (CSB) at
(888) 203-8100

©1997-2018, Universal Service Administrative Company, All Rights Reserved

USAC | 700 12th St NW | Suite 900 | Washington DC 20005

© 1997-2018, Universal Service Administrative Co., All Rights Reserved.
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