E-rate/ConnectEd
DeLilah Collins
Office of Federal Programs Administration
[email protected]
ConnectEd Initiative
 Designed to enrich K-12 education for every student in
America.
 Within 5 years, connect 99% of America’s students to nextgeneration broadband and high speed wireless in their schools
and libraries
 Invest in improving the skills of teachers
 Encouraging private-sector innovation
Upgrading Connectivity
 President Obama instructed the Federal Communications
Commission to infuse an additional $2 billion into the E-rate
program.
 In addition, the FCC began steps to modernize the E-rate
program to ensure that every school will have the ability to
obtain support for high speed broadband connectivity.
Private Sector Contributions
 Private sector companies are also investing in this
initiative and have contributed over $2 billion in tools
and services.
Private Sector Contributors
Adobe
*Apple
AT&T
Autodesk
ESRI
Microsoft
Prezi
Sprint
Verizon
edX
O’Reilly Media
Coursera
AT&T
AT&T will provide:
 4G mobile broadband data services for student access to learningbased websites, applications, and services;
 Mobile device management to support tracking and usage of
devices;
 Security software to protect access, safety and security of students;
 Solution integration for schools, to support device configuration,
logistics and care services, and
 Training for teachers and administrators on effective ways to
integrate this solution into classrooms and learning.
 Next phase: Spring 2015, deadline TBD
http://www.connectednation.org/attaspire
Microsoft
 This program includes a range of discounted partner and Microsoft
devices built with Windows 8.1 Pro;
 Office 365 Education for free
 Teacher training and resources through the Microsoft Educator
Network
 Ad-free search with Bing in the Classroom
 Microsoft’s nonprofit partner EveryoneOn is offering home internet
service as low as $10.
 Student training and resources for fundamental technology skills
through Microsoft IT Academy for up to 2,000 high-needs academic
institutions and their educators, students, and staff with digital
curriculum and certification.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/buy-license/affordablewindows-devices-for-us-schools/default.aspx#fbid=Q0YR2eo4Qr-
Sprint
Sprint has committed to provide high-speed wireless broadband
service for up to 50,000 students at schools across the country
starting in August 2014 and over the next four years.
 Approved schools or districts will receive 4 years of free Sprint
high-speed wireless broadband service with a 3GB monthly
data limit for each student activation
http://ecenter.custhelp.com/app/landing_page/ConnectED_lp?E
CID=vanity:connected
Verizon
In partnership with the International Society for Technology
Education (ISTE) and Johns Hopkins University, the Verizon
Foundation is launching the Verizon Mobile Learning Academy –
a virtual, moderated professional development course offered to
teams of educators for free. Course modules are designed to
help teachers, administrators and tech coaches implement
effective mobile learning initiatives in their schools and
classrooms.
http://www.iste.org/lead/verizon-mobile-learningacademy?CMP=DMC-SMB_Z_ZZ_ZZ_Z_ZZ_N_X00037
Free Software
Adobe – Photoshop, Presenter, Captive, EchoSign
Autodesk - Autodesk design software (Autodesk Education
Master Suite and Autodesk Entertainment Suite Ultimate)
ESRI - Access to ArcGIS Online Organization accounts
Prezi - Edu Pro licenses for high schools and all educators across
America
Free Professional Development
 Coursera - Offering free Verified Certificates for districtapproved professional development courses to all U.S.
teachers.
 EdX - has committed to provide more than a dozen free online
teacher professional development courses from leading
universities like Rice, Teachers College, Columbia University,
and UT Austin.
 O’Reilly Media - Through a partnership with Safari Books
Online, O’Reilly Media has committed to over $100 million of
e-books and videos.
E-rate Modernization
E-rate Modernization
E-rate Modernization
 First order adopted July 11, 2014,
 Most of the program changes were outlined in the first order.
 Included a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which led
to the adoption of the Second Report and Order which was
adopted on December 11, 2014.
Program Changes
 FCC adopted three goals:
 (1) ensuring affordable access to high-speed broadband sufficient
to support digital learning in schools and robust connectivity for all
libraries;
 (2) maximizing the cost-effectiveness of spending for E-rate
supported purchases; and
 (3) making the E-rate application process and other E-rate
processes fast, simple, and efficient
Funding Changes
 Funding Cap Increased
 Previous cap at 2.25 billion, indexing for inflation
 New cap 3.9 billion, indexing for inflation
 Roll over
 No Priority 2 since 2013
 2 billion in rollover funds available, to be distributed over the 2015
and 2016 funding years
Program Changes
Priorities to Categories
 Terminology changed from Priorities to Categories
 This change eliminates any emphasis on specific types of services
 Eligible Services
Program Changes
Category 2 budget
 ALL schools will receive a budget for Category 2 eligible services.
 School budgets are $150 per student PRE-DISCOUNT based on the
count of full time and part time students at that school with a floor of
$9,200.
 Library budgets are $2.30 - $5.00* PRE-DISCOUNT times the square
footage of the library (inside the four walls) with a floor of $9,200.
 Non-instructional facilities (NIFs) – including school NIFs with
classrooms and administrative buildings – do not have Category Two
budgets
Libraries in urbanized areas within principal cities with a population over 100,000 and in areas outside of a principal city, but
within an urbanized area with a population over 250,000. These libraries have a local code of 11, 12, and 21 assigned by the
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Program Changes
Phasing Down Support
 All voice services are reduced by 20 percentage points
beginning FY2015. This includes all costs incurred for the
provision of telephone service and circuit capacity dedicated
to providing voice services including:
 Local phone service, long distance service, plain old telephone
services, radio loop, 800 service, satellite telephone, shared
telephone service, Centrex, wireless telephone service such as
cellular, and interconnected VoIP
Program Changes
Services and components no longer eligible for support
Effective FY 2015
Program Changes
Data plans and air cards for mobile devices are eligible only in
instances when the school or library seeking support
demonstrates that the individual data plans are the most costeffective option for providing internal broadband access for
mobile devices as required in the E-rate Modernization Order.
Off-campus use, even if used for an educational purpose, is
ineligible for support and must be cost allocated out of any
funding request.
Program Changes
Categories of Service:
 Category 1 – Voice and Internet
 Category 2 – Internal Connections and Managed Broadband
 Available once every five years
 BMIC – Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections
Program Changes
Managed Internal Broadband
 Services provided by a third party for the operation,
management, and monitoring of eligible broadband internal
connections components are eligible managed internal
broadband services (e.g., managed Wi-Fi).
Program Changes
Simplified Application Process
 Multiyear contracts five years or less
 To the extent applicable, any changes in the requested services
must be within the scope of the original FCC form 470 and
multi-year contract.
Program Changes
Business Class Internet
No FCC Form 470 posting is required if the applicant can secure
services that:
 Has bandwidth speeds of at least 100 Mbps downstream and
10 Mbps upstream;
 Pre-discount price of $3600 or less annually, including onetime installation charges and
 Service and price are commercially available.
Program Changes
Legally Binding Agreement
 Existence of a written offer from service provider containing
all the material terms and conditions and a written acceptance
of that offer can be evidence of the existence of a legally
binding agreement.
 Email offer and acceptance
Program Changes
Discount Principals
 Discounts are calculated for the organization as a whole.
 Discount rates do not change based on which entities within a
district/system are receiving service.
 Libraries derive their discount from the NSLP eligibility of the
district in which the main outlet is located.
 Rural status is determined at the district/system level and only
if more than 50% of schools or libraries are rural.
Program Changes
BEAR payments to applicants
 Beginning in FY 2016, applicants that pay the full cost of
the E-rate supported services to a service provider will be
able to receive direct reimbursement from USAC.
Program Changes
State Matching
 Applicants discount can be increased up to an addition 10
percent in order to match state funding the applicant receives
on a one-dollar-to-one-dollar basis
 An applicant with a 90% discount rate would receive its 90%
discount on the E-rate eligible construction and if the state
provided an additional contribution to the project (such as 5% of
the total cost of the project) the Fund will match the states
contribution (here, an additional 5% of the total project cost).
Between the state contribution of 5% and the additional 5% E-rate
discount, the 10% non-discounted share of the costs would be
covered.
Program Changes
New Forms
 Form 471 revamped
 Push for a new portal system
 All forms must be filed online
 USAC is working on the new online system for next year.
 SECA will work with USAC this month to update and fix any
issues.
2015 Funding Requests
 Category 1 demand for FY 2015 is estimated at $2.25 billion, down from
FY 2014’s comparable Priority 1 demand of $2.63 billion. The decline
reflects the ineligibility of webhosting, certain telephone service
components and most cellular data services, as well as the 20% phaseout of discounts on voice services. Although details are not yet
available, the demand for broadband Telecommunications and Internet
services presumably rose.
 Category 2 demand for FY 2015 is estimated at $1.67 billion, down from
FY 2014’s comparable Priority 2 demand of $2.19 billion. The decline in
Internal Connections requests may be attributed to the narrow
eligibility focus on broadband equipment, the five-year Category 2
budget cap, and, possibly, some applicant hesitation in applying for
Category 2 funding.
Future Ready
Future Ready
Future Ready
The Alliance for Excellent Education and the U.S. Department of
Education are leading an effort to maximize digital learning
opportunities and help school districts move quickly toward
preparing students for success in college, a career, and
citizenship.
 District leaders from across the country took the Future Ready
District Pledge indicating their commitment to develop the
human and technological capacity needed to personalize
learning using digital tools.
Future Ready
The goal of this effort is to help each district team come together
to discuss their vision for student learning and begin making
plans for using technology effectively - ensuring the following
Future READY components are evident in all schools, to benefit
every student.
 Denver Regional Summit: June 11th and 12th, 2015
For more information about this movement visit
http://futurereadyschools.org/futureready.