How to Request Discounted Bills for FY 2016

August 25, 2016

E-rate rules require vendors to provide applicants with the choice of receiving discounted bills from their vendors (called the SPI process) or paying their bills in full each month and then obtaining reimbursement using the BEAR (Form 472).  Applicants may choose a different discount/reimbursement method for each FRN, but once the choice has been made and either a service provider invoice or BEAR invoice has been submitted to USAC for payment, that method of discounting must be continued for the remainder of the funding year for that FRN.

For applicants that would like discounted bills, most companies require applicants to formally request such discounts each year.  Although discounted bills cannot begin until the applicant receives their Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) and files their Form 486, applicants can and should submit their requests for discounted bills to each company as soon as possible so discounted billing can begin as early as possible in the funding year.

Each company has different requirements for requesting discounted bills. Some companies just require an e-mail or phone call.  Other companies require you to complete an online form or paper form specifying which account numbers should be discounted.  In order to make that process as easy as possible, I’ve compiled below a list of the most-used vendors in PA and the method to request discounted bills for that company.  If there are any I’ve missed, please let me know and I’ll continue to expand the list and post it to the PA E-rate website.  Where I have copies of vendors’ forms, I’ve attached them to this message.

Don’t forget:  if you want discounted bills, file the Form 486 immediately after you receive your FCDL!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Vendor Discounted Bills Process
Affiniti/Last Mile (formerly Sting) E-mail Syralja Pollock at syralja.pollock@affiniti.com.
AT&T Upon receipt of your Funding Commitment Decision Letter, AT&T will send an email that includes a hyperlink to submit a GRID that you will complete and return to erate.legt@att.com.
AT&T Mobility Company will send e-mail after you have been funded with a form to be completed if you would like discounted bills. You also may contact them directly for a copy of the form at (866) 829-8184 or NECOEMobility@att.com.
Broadview Networks E-mail eRate@broadviewnet.com for a simple discount selection choice.
Century Link (Embarq) Company will send e-mail after you’ve been funded with a form to be completed if you would like discounted bills.  You also may contact them directly for a copy of the form at erate@centurylink.com.
Comcast A copy of Comcast’s 2016 form is attached to this message.  E-mail completed form to: Erate_Funding@cable.comcast.com.
Consolidated Communications E-mail Stephanie Sapp at Stephanie.Sapp@consolidated.com.
Earthlink Business (formerly One Communications) Call Susan Walters at (616) 988-7341 or swalters@onecommunications.com to request discounted billing.
Frontier (Commonwealth and CTSI) Complete the attached Discount Request Form or complete the online form at: http://www.frontier.com/discountprograms/ERate.
Ironton Telephone Company E-mail Patricia Stewart at pstewart@ironton.com.
Level 3 Contact Amy Ban at 720-888-5990/amy.ban@level3.com.  Ask for e-mail confirmation that the request has been processed.
One Communications Contact Susan Walters at swalters@onecommunications.com.
PenTeleData E-mail edusales@corp.ptd.net.
Service Electric Telephone Company E-mail Patricia Stewart at pstewart@ironton.com.
Sprint/Nextel E-mail Christina Halley at Christina.Halley@sprint.com.
Sunesys E-mail Nicole Jackson at njackson@sunesys.com.
Verizon Verizon will email a new Data Gathering Form to the Contact email on the FCDL as the Waves are sent out.  Form must be returned, signed/dated. Deadline for discounts to be requested is November 1, 2016. Email vz.erate.east@verizon.com or call Verizon’s E-rate Office at 1-800-547-5474 for assistance.
Verizon Wireless Company sent a series of e-mails to affected customers requiring an online form be completed by June 24, 2016.  If you have questions about your discounted bills, contact VW at ERATE@VERIZONWIRELESS.COM or 866-221-4123.
Verizon Business/Verizon Select Services Verizon will email a new Data Gathering Form to the Contact email on the FCDL as the Waves are sent out. Form must be returned, signed and dated. Deadline for discounts to be requested is November 1, 2016. E-mail Jeannine Tabb at Jeannine.tabb@verizon.com  for assistance.
Windstream Company will send e-mail asking if you would like discounted bills.  You also may contact them directly at e-rate@windstream.com or 402-436-4466.
XO Communications Call Jamie E. Sontany at 615-777-7763 to request discounted bills.

– Julie

Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator

717-730-7133 – o
717-730-9060 – f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org

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