[OPLINTECH] Fwd: E-Rate December 2024 Updates

[Christine Morris]

Greetings,

Lorrie Germann, State E-Rate Coordinator, has a number of updates that are
worth noting!

Questions? Let us know at OPLIN Support <https://support.oplin.org/>!

Best wishes,

Christine
--
Christine Morris (she/her)
Digital Resources Manager
Ohio Public Library Information Network
christine at oplin.ohio.gov
614-728-5252 (OPLIN Support)
614-728-0227 (direct)
Good morning E-Rate Community,

I apologize up front for the lengthy list of items in this update, but this
is proving to be a very busy E-Rate filing season, with lots of information
to share! So, here we go:

*Begin Your FY 2025 Bidding If You Haven’t Started *– If you have a
contract that needs to be rebid or seek Category 2 funding for FY 2025, be
prepared to file a Form 470. How do you know if you have to bid? Here’s a
reminder:
1) If a service is covered on a Month-to-Month basis (meaning no contract
exists – these are mostly cable modem-type services) *AND *your services do
not qualify for the CABIO bidding exemption
<https://www.ohio-k12.help?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIxMTgwNSIsIjkwZjI3MzQ0ZjU0Y2U1YzM2ODM0YTMxYmVjMzE5YWNkIiwiMjM0IiwiNDI0OTc4YmQ0ZjRmIixmYWxzZV0>;

2) At the beginning of any new contract. Note: If you posted a Form 470 in
a previous year and then signed a multi-year contract that expires on or
after June 30, 2026, you are not required to file a Form 470 for FY 2025.
3) If you’re upgrading service and the upgrades and associated prices are
not included in the original contract.

*Extending an Existing Contract for FY 2025* - If your original contract
includes (finite, not open-ended) voluntary extensions and you wish to
exercise one of those extensions for FY 2025, be certain to notify the
vendor in writing of that decision before the Form 471 is filed. USAC will
ask for a copy of that written notification during PIA review, so be sure
to retain evidence of that notification.

*Spam/Robo Bids* – We have all experienced receiving spam or “robo” bids
when filing the Form 470. We have raised our concerns about these bids with
USAC on multiple occasions, and they have provided the following
guidance/requirements and advice for language to include with your Form 470
or RFP:
“All bids received should be retained during the competitive bidding
process. Disqualification factors can be applied to bids received that do
not meet minimum bid requirements, do not include site- or project-specific
details, and/or are not responsive to the applicant’s requests. Applicants
may include language in their FCC Form 470 narrative or request for
proposal (RFP), such as, “SPAM and/or robotic responses will not be
considered valid bid responses and will be disqualified from consideration.”
By doing this, applicants can disqualify bids based on this factor. The
decision to disqualify any non-responsive bids should also be memorialized
and retained to demonstrate compliance with the E-Rate competitive bidding
rules.”

*FY 2025 Form 471 Window Dates*—The Form 471 window filing dates have not
yet been announced. We expect to have the dates before the holiday break,
and they will be very similar to previous years, which is that the window
will open mid-January and close mid-late March. The Form 470 deadline will
determine the Form 470 deadline. *I will provide Form 471 webinars in late
January/early February, and conduct both Category 1 and Category 2
sessions. So, watch for the training dates.*

*Do You Have Category 2 Funding Remaining?* Don’t forget that FY 2025 is
the 5th and final year of the current 5-year Category 2 budget cycle! To
view your remaining C2 budget for FY 2025, use USAC’s C2 Budget Data Tool
at https://opendata.usac.org/E-rate/E-Rate-C2-Budget-Tool-FY2021-/8z69-hkn7
<https://www.ohio-k12.help?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIxMTgwNSIsIjkwZjI3MzQ0ZjU0Y2U1YzM2ODM0YTMxYmVjMzE5YWNkIiwiMjM0IiwiNGEwN2RjOWJmNmE1IixmYWxzZV0>.
Use the filter on the right side of the page to select your BEN. Unused C2
budgets will not roll over into FY 2026, but a new C2 budget cycle will
begin on 7/1/2026.

*FY 2024 Form 486s* – The Form 486 deadline is 120 days from the FCDL date
or the service start date (typically July 1st), whichever is later. If you
file your Form 486 after the original deadline, you must also file an
appeal with USAC to request that the Service Start Date be adjusted to
7/1/2024 so you don’t lose any E-rate funding. If you requested Internal
Connections, a one-time purchase, and the purchase/installation is
completed after 7/1/2024, be sure to update the date when filing the Form
486.

*Off-Campus Wi-Fi Hotspot Eligibility and Calculator* – Although there is
some uncertainty about how the incoming administration will regard
off-campus hotspots, schools, and libraries that need this service should
proceed with their plans but consider signing contracts that are contingent
on receiving an E-Rate funding commitment. USAC has created a helpful
hotspot budget calculation tool to help schools and libraries determine the
maximum amount of funding they may request each funding year at:
https://opendata.usac.org/stories/s/d5st-k49w
<https://www.ohio-k12.help?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIxMTgwNSIsIjkwZjI3MzQ0ZjU0Y2U1YzM2ODM0YTMxYmVjMzE5YWNkIiwiMjM0IiwiNDFmNWExMmI5MGFmIixmYWxzZV0>.
Also, USAC has extensive resources related to this new initiative at:
https://www.usac.org/e-rate/applicant-process/before-you-begin/off-premises-wi-fi-hotspots-summary-overview/
<https://www.ohio-k12.help?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIxMTgwNSIsIjkwZjI3MzQ0ZjU0Y2U1YzM2ODM0YTMxYmVjMzE5YWNkIiwiMjM0IiwiYjEwNDU5NTg0MmE3IixmYWxzZV0>.


*EPC Log-in Errors and How to Resolve *- In the last few months, many have
reported they are continuing to receive the following error message when
logging into EPC after they go through multi-factor authentication:
“AuthSDKError: Unable to parse a token from the URL”. To overcome this
error, try the following:
1) Clear your cache and allow third-party cookies.
2) Press and hold the ‘CTRL’ key on your keyboard. While holding the ‘CTRL’
key, press the ‘F5’ key once to perform a hard refresh.
3) After receiving the error, enter this URL, which often takes you
directly into EPC without requiring a new authentication:
https://portal.usac.org
<https://www.ohio-k12.help?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIxMTgwNSIsIjkwZjI3MzQ0ZjU0Y2U1YzM2ODM0YTMxYmVjMzE5YWNkIiwiMjM0IiwiZDczOTViZjM2NWMzIixmYWxzZV0>
.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at
lorrie.germann at education.ohio.gov
<https://www.ohio-k12.help?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIxMTgwNSIsIjkwZjI3MzQ0ZjU0Y2U1YzM2ODM0YTMxYmVjMzE5YWNkIiwiMjM0IiwiZGY5MGQ1MzYwZDJkIixmYWxzZV0>
.

I wish you all a very happy holiday season!

Lorrie

*Lorrie Germann*
State E-Rate Coordinator
Ohio Department of Education & Workforce
lorrie.germann at education.ohio.gov
740-253-1153
https://www.ohio-k12.help/e-rate-support/
<https://www.ohio-k12.help?mailpoet_router&endpoint=track&action=click&data=WyIxMTgwNSIsIjkwZjI3MzQ0ZjU0Y2U1YzM2ODM0YTMxYmVjMzE5YWNkIiwiMjM0IiwiOTNiZTY4M2U2MmU1IixmYWxzZV0>
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