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How to Request Discounted Bills for FY 2012
June 21, 2012
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 (the only exception is AT&T which has obtained a waiver from the FCC to not discount bills). 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 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), files their Form 486, and the service provider receives a copy of the Form 486 approval letter from USAC, applicants can and should submit their requests for discounted bills to each company prior to receiving the FCDL. And as I mentioned in a previous message, no E-rate funding for FY 2012 has been released yet, so no Form 486 can be filed.
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.
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
AT&T (SPIN 143001192) Cannot discount bills.
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 Amy Wong at amwong@broadviewnet.com.
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 Compose letter on school or library letterhead to formally request discounted bills and e-mail letter to Pam Ervin at Pamela_Ervin@cable.comcast.com.
Consolidated Communications E-mail Stephanie Sapp at Stephanie.Sapp@consolidated.com.
Earthlink Business (formerly One Communications) E-mail Jason Shewmake at 404-748-7712 or jason.shumake@corp.earthlink.com.
Edline E-mail Kristian or Julia at erate@edline.com or call 800-491-0010.
Frontier (Commonwealth or CTSI) http://www.frontier.com/discountprograms/Default.aspx (proceed through 2 screens). An e-mail request will be sent to you requesting copies of the corresponding Item 21 attachments to complete the process.
Gaggle E-mail Mike McInerney at mike@gaggle.net.
Level 3 Contact Robin Hunt at 512-742-2718 or Robin.Hunt@Level3.com
One Communications Contact Susan Walters at swalters@onecommunications.com.
PenTeleData E-mail edusales@corp.ptd.net.
Schoolwires E-mail Anita Plakans at anita.plakans@schoolwires.com.
Sprint/Nextel E-mail Christina Halley at Christina.Halley@sprint.com.
Sting (Last Mile) E-mail Jen Tobias at jent@stingcom.com.
Sunesys E-mail Walt Tustin at WTustin@sunesys.com.
Verizon Contact Verizon's E-rate Office at 1-800-547-5474. You will be required to complete a Grid to complete the discounting process.
Verizon Wireless Company should have sent an e-mail containing a personalized PIN number to be used on the website http://apps.vzwshop.com/erate/. If no e-mail was received, contact VW at ERATE@VERIZONWIRELESS.COM or 866-221-4123.
Verizon Business/Verizon Select Services E-mail Jeannine Tabb at jeannine.tabb@verizonbusiness.com to request their 1-page Discount Request Form.
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.
-- Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 - o
717-730-9060 - f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org
Penn*link
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