{"id":33534,"date":"2021-08-10T23:34:53","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T23:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e-ratepaorg.local\/?p=33534"},"modified":"2021-08-10T23:36:04","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T23:36:04","slug":"additional-important-ecf-clarifications-issued","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=33534","title":{"rendered":"Additional Important ECF Clarifications Issued"},"content":{"rendered":"

August 10, 2021<\/span><\/p>\n

The FCC and USAC have issued new and additional\u00a0guidance<\/a>\u00a0related to the following important issues.\u00a0 Please review before submitting your ECF Form 471.\u00a0 If you have already submitted your ECF Form 471 and these clarifications impact your filing, you can either refile the application and under Related Actions of the original 471, ask the reviewer to cancel the application \u2013 or \u2013 you can ask the reviewer to make the modification to your original application (if it were me, I would simply file a new 471 before Friday\u2019s deadline and cancel the original).\u00a0 Also, don\u2019t forget to review my\u00a0previously issued Do\u2019s and Don\u2019t\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0before filing.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Is a license to use a connected device eligible for ECF support?<\/strong>
\n— Licenses,\u00a0software, content filtering and security services\u00a0included in the price of the connected devices are eligible for support and do not require cost allocation. \u00a0However,\u00a0separately priced\u00a0licenses, software, content filtering, and security services are ineligible for ECF funding.\u00a0 Service providers may include these items in the price of the connected device.\u00a0 ECF support for connected devices is capped at $400 per device, even if the base price includes the cost of licenses, software, or content filtering and security services.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Is a bundled three-year warranty that includes accidental damage protection eligible?<\/strong>
\n— No.\u00a0 Accidental device protection, or insurance-type warranties, are ineligible.\u00a0 If a\u00a0manufacturer\u2019s multi-year warranty<\/em>\u00a0for a period of up to three years is bundled with the cost of the device, it is eligible for ECF, but it cannot be listed with a separately identifiable cost.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 For network construction, will service providers be able to request a one-year extension?<\/strong>
\n— Unlike the E-Rate program, ECF program rules do not allow USAC to provide service delivery extensions for third-party or self-provisioned networks.\u00a0 If special circumstances warrant it, applicants will be permitted to request an FCC waiver of the one-year completion date.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 For new construction projects in unserved areas, are vendors permitted to submit \u201cprogress payment\u201d reimbursement SPIs? \u00a0If so, is it required that such provisions be in the vendor contract?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

— milestone payments.\u00a0 Yes, if in the contract.\u00a0 But 1 year deadline applies so there may be a risk of recovery if they don\u2019t complete it.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Does a service provider need a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) for ECF?<\/strong>
\n— Depends.\u00a0 SPINs are not required,\u00a0unless the service provider will be invoicing ECF for reimbursement.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 In order to save money, many school districts opted to put their wireless internet plans in \u201csummer mode\u201d where the cost is reduced from $45\/month to $10\/month.\u00a0 Is the $10\/month \u201csummer mode\u201d charge also eligible for ECF?<\/strong><\/p>\n

— Yes.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 How should a school calculate the eligible amount in Window 1 for a multi-year laptop lease?\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

— Applicants may request ECF funding for the amount per laptop that they\u2019re paying between July 1, 2021 \u2013 June 30, 2022. \u00a0Finance charges are not eligible for ECF.\u00a0 \u00a0should apply for what is being charged for that funding year.\u00a0 Not subject to proration up to $400 cap.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0 If an applicant will be using a PO to purchase the equipment or services, should they select \u2018Contract\u2019 or \u2018Non-Contract\u2019 for the Agreement Type?<\/strong><\/p>\n

— Non-Contract.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0 Should installation\/configuration services for a connected device be a separate line item from the \u201cequipment\u201d FRN?\u00a0<\/strong>
\n— Yes.\u00a0 The installation\/configuration should be requested on the same equipment FRN, but as a separate FRN Line Item.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 Are home-schooled students eligible for ECF supported devices and services?<\/strong>
\n— When home-schooled students who lack access to eligible equipment or services are considered to be enrolled in public or non-profit private schools that provide elementary or secondary education, under the law of the applicable state, those public or nonpublic schools can seek support from the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program for funding to provide such students with eligible equipment or services. \u00a0Similarly, eligible libraries could purchase eligible equipment or services for library patrons, including home-schooled students with an unmet need using ECF support.<\/p>\n

— Julie<\/p>\n

Julie Tritt Schell<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator
\n717-730-7133 – o
\njtschell@comcast.net<\/a>
\nwww.e-ratepa.org<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n

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August 10, 2021<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-listserve_archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33534\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}