President's Message

As you know, keeping up with E-Rate can be exhausting, especially during the application window. Here are some hints for service providers from ESPA's President, Catherine Banker of Vector Resources, Inc. in Torrance, CA:

The FCC Form 470s are filed and now is the time for service providers to be responding to proposals/bids. Service providers should make sure you double-check the Form 470 and that the applicable boxes are checked in Block 2, paras. 8, 9, 10, and or 11 depending on the type of service you are providing.

If the FCC Form 470 indicated that the applicant has posted an additional RFP, remember that the 28-day period before entering a contract runs from the date of posting an RFP-either the FCC Form 470 or applicant's RFP, whichever is posted later. Double check to make sure that you meet all of the requirements set forth in the RFP. Being deemed unresponsive because of a missing document or late delivery is hard to explain to your boss and, even worse, a waste of your hard work!

If you win the bid and are chosen as the vendor, DO NOT sign a contract until the 29th day after the RFP was posted. The FCC rules also require that the applicant SIGN the contract prior to posting a completed FCC Form 471. Signing the contract by the applicant or service provider prior to the expiration of the 28-day period is one of the top ten denial reasons.

Once chosen as the service provider, companies should offer to assist the applicants with their FCC Form 471s and Item 21 Attachments. The Item 21 is a more detailed description of the goods and services sought on the FCC Form 471. USAC will not commence the review of the 471 Application before the Item 21 is filed. While the FCC rules do not require that the Item 21 is filed with the FCC Form 471, it is recommended to do so or shortly thereafter. Service providers should ask the applicant for a copy of the filed Item 21 that pertains to the service provider's FRNs (Funding Request Numbers). These are the documents that service providers bill against. Ensure they are accurate and complete before they become the "official record for invoicing".

The SLD website is very busy at this time of year, and it is possible to get timed out even now, so if you experience problems, try applying later in the day if you are on the west coast and early if you are on the east coast.

Catherine Banker, ESPA President