Home Stretch E-rate Update

April 21, 2020

Good afternoon, E-raters!

With 8 filing days remaining to file FY 2020 Form 471s, I’m pleased to report that PA’s filing rates are a little ahead of where we were at this point last year.  However, I believe there are still half of the FRNs waiting to be submitted.  The exact stats are below.  As of today, I have heard no indication that the FCC intends to extend next week’s Form 471 filing deadline (Wednesday, April 29).  If you haven’t yet filed, well, now is the time.  (As Mary Poppins would say – Spit Spot!)

>>> Process Reminder:  File Form 470 (or PEPPM mini-bid) for bidding > Conduct Bid Evaluation > Sign Vendor Contract > Create Contract Record in EPC > File Form 471 > PIA Review > Funding Commitment Decisions Letter > File Form 486. <<<

Ask Me Anything Zoom!:  To help answer any last minute questions you have about your filings, I’ve scheduled an Ask Me Anything Zoom session on Thursday, April 23 from 1 – 3.   There will be no formal presentation, just an open dialogue for you to ask any questions you have about E-rate and your applications.  Of course, you can always e-mail me questions and certainly don’t have to wait until Thursday.  No password required, simply go to:  https://paiu.zoom.us/j/4883075740.

Filing Hints:  Recently I sent to the listserve some important filing hints I hope you will all read before filing.  They are listed at:  https://e-ratepa.org/?p=32373.

Form 471 Reminder E-mails:  I’ve received multiple reports of 471 “reminder” e-mails being sent to applicants that have already filed their applications.  If you get one of these, don’t worry.  It means you have an unfinished (abandoned) 471 sitting in EPC that you started, but then didn’t submit.  Simply go to your EPC Landing Page, and under My Tasks, click on the 471 link.  Then click “Discard Form” and *poof* those reminder e-mails will go away.

Extended Time for PIA Responses:  Many of you who filed your 471 applications are already in PIA review.  Although the FCC granted additional time for applicants to respond to USAC PIA inquiries, the EPC system is hard-coded to automatically send out reminder notices based on the normal program deadlines.  In other words, ignore the deadlines stated in EPC and in the reminder notices you receive.  Rest assured that USAC is not going to deny any of these forms or requests due to non-response or incomplete responses.  They will instead continue their attempts to contact you, and when you are able to respond, they will continue their review.

Vendor Cost Allocation Links:  Some manufacturer’s have websites to help applicants determine if the products they’re listed on their Form 471s are E-rate eligible, partially eligible, or 0% eligible.  Here are the ones I’m familiar with; if you know of others, please send them to me: 

Filing Guides and Additional Guidance: 

FY 2020 Status of Filings as of 4/20/2020:

  • 1572 FRNs filed by 702 PA entities
  • 823 FRNs in ‘Wave Ready’ Status (meaning they will likely be funded in Wave 1 or 2)
  • By comparison, last year, 2500 FRNs were filed (total) by 925 PA entities.  So we have a long way to go in the next 8 days…

USAC Client Service Bureau’s Extended Hours:  CSB’s regular hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT weekdays.  In addition to those times, CSB will be open:

Date CSB Open CSB Close
Saturday, April 25 9:00 a.m. EDT   4:00 p.m. EDT
Sunday, April 26 9:00 a.m. EDT   4:00 p.m. EDT
Monday, April 27 8:00 a.m. EDT   9:00 p.m. EDT
Tuesday, April 28 8:00 a.m. EDT 10:00 p.m. EDT
Wednesday, April 29 8:00 a.m. EDT midnight

If you cannot file your Form 471 by the April 29 deadline – for whatever reason –  please let me know and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure your application gets submitted.

Happy Filing!  Stay safe and healthy, my E-rate family.

homestretch

— Julie

Julie Tritt Schell
Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org

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