Lorrie Germann, eTech Ohio and State E-Rate Coordinator is passing on the following news and information to the Ohio library community:
Workshops
OPLIN, in collaboration with the State Library is again working with eTech Ohio to provide E-Rate workshops to Ohio public libraries. The Form 470 workshop will be held October 28 and the Form 471 workshop will be held on December 14. You can register for the workshops through the WebJunction Ohio events calendar at: http://host6.evanced.info/ohio/evanced/eventcalendar.asp
FY 2008 – FY 2010 Funding Status
The 2009 funding year is progressing. Wave 16 for FY 2009 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, August 11th.. Although USAC is still only funding Priority 1 services for FY 2009 in this wave, the SLD has indicated that it is ready to begin Priority 2 funding at the 90% level — as early as next week — if the FCC approves. Due to a computer system upgrade, a brief hiatus in FY 2009 funding waves is expected in late August and early September, discussed below.
Wave 64 for FY 2008 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 12th. Total funding for FY 2008 is now $2.34 billion. A decision has still not been made on the funding of Priority 2 services at 87%.
Early indications from the SLD are that the Form 471 filing window for FY 2010 — assuming no major IT cutover problems (and timely FCC release of the Eligible Services List for FY 2010) — will again run from early December to early February. Applicants planning procurement initiatives over the next month should note that Form 470s will not be able to be filed during the IT cutover.
Deadline Reminders
FY 2009 Form 486 – must be postmarked no later than:
· 120 days after the Service Start Date featured on the Form 486, or
· 120 days after the date of the Funding Commitment Decision Letter, whichever is later.
FY 2008 Form 472 (BEAR) – must be postmarked no later than:
· 120 days after the last date to receive service, or
· 120 days after the date of the Form 486 Notification Letter, whichever is later.
SLD Computer System Cutover
Later this month, the computer systems that support SLD operations will be moved from New Jersey to Virginia. While the move is in process, most online form filing systems and databases currently accessible via the SLD Web site will be unavailable to applicants, service providers, and even the SLD itself. The transition is expected to take 2-3 weeks, and will be formally announced about a week before the cutover.
The following important consequences of the cutover period should be carefully noted:
1. Form 470s cannot be filed online or, if submitted in paper form, be data entered by the SLD. If an applicant plans to issue an RFP over the next few weeks, they should file the associated Form 470 now. The Form 470 will show an Allowable Contract Date of 28 days after its posting, but the applicant must make sure that the later-filed RFP remains open for a full 28 days after its issuance.
2. USAC will not be able to issue funding waves for FY 2009 applications during the cutover period, although it may be able to release smaller waves for earlier funding years. Although PIA may be able to continue limited work on Form 471 applications throughout the cutover, PIA’s inability to access SLD databases may hinder the process.
3. Applicant and service provider invoices (Form 472 BEARs and Form 474 SPIs) will not be able to be filed online, nor will paper invoices be data entered. The cutover is not expected to affect the October 28th deadline for submitting invoices for FY 2008 recurring services.
4. Form 486s will not be able to be filed online or be data entered if submitted in paper form. Applicants already funded for FY 2009, seeking discounted service provider billing, should file their Form 486s now — preferably online.
5. Many, if not all, of the SLD’s online search tools — commitments, data retrieval tool, entity numbers, service provider contacts — will not be available.
6. The SLD’s online Submit a Question facility will be inoperable. The Client Service Bureau will remain in operation and may be reached by telephone (888-203-8100), but may not be able to answer certain questions requiring database access. The Reference Area on the SLD Web site will remain available.
The system transition is designed to expand the data handling capabilities, improve reliability, and provide greater flexibility for future system enhancements.