Wireless Infrastructure
Initiative
Superintendent’s Quarterly Meeting
March 18 , 2014
Update
• The Need
• The Plan
• Progress
• Next Steps
2
Wireless Infrastructure Initiative:
Towards High Density for All
School Wireless Infrastructure Current Status (# of schools):
None (70)
Marginal (818)
Intermediate (928)
High Density (515)

22%
3%
$6 M need
35%
$47 M need
40% $27 M need
$80 M
initial
need
to move all schools initially to high density wireless
Objectives
1. Confirm updated profile of local needs
2. File Statewide 470 and do Consortium
Procurement to ensure all NC districs and
charters the same lowest possible pricing
3. Establish funding mechanism for getting
State to high density standard, and
maintaining through annual refresh
a. RttT funds to jump-start “initial” upfit
b. Budget request to provide annual funding
4
RttT Wireless Infrastructure Initiative:
Leveraging E-Rate & RttT
$80 M
E-Rate
Discount
$62.4 M
E-Rate - $ 36.6 M
State/Local
$17.6 M
Cost
Accessing E-Rate
Funds
RttT - $4.6 M
+ $10.4 M
“Jump Start”
in 2014-15
To submit
in March,
April 2015
Approved
by USED
(9-18-14)
Approved
by USED
(3-13-15)
RttT Wireless Infrastructure Initiative:
Board-approved rubric for determining priority
1. E-Rate discount rate (highest discount –
85% - gets highest priority)
2. Current wireless infrastructure status
(biggest gap from standard gets highest
priority; age of any existing equipment
factors in) – based on statewide survey
3. High  Middle  Elementary
Actions Taken
1. Surveyed and communicated with districts
2. Released Request for Proposals (RFP) for
wireless infrastructure equipment/installation
3. Submitted State plan to FCC for eRate match
4. Used State Board-approved criteria and Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) criteria to
create priority list of ~600 schools to be served
5. Submitted amendment to USED proposing
redeployment of $10.4 M of RttT funds
7
Next Steps
March 17
Awarded Statewide
equipment & service
contracts –
consortium pricing
for districts to access
April
State Board
approves
allocation of RttT
funds to districts
for wireless
March 18
We
are
here
March 26
April 16
Districts submit E-Rate
filings to FCC (NCDPI
Connectivity Team
assists as needed)
April
April – August 15
Fall
NCDPI
allocates RttT
funds to
districts
Districts spend
RttT portion of
funds for
infrastructure
upgrades
Districts
complete
projects,
spend local &
E-rate funds
8
Other Issues?
1. Myth regarding uses of School Connectivity
budget
2. Unfounded concerns regarding FCC approval
of Wireless Infrastructure Initiative 470s and
vendors
3. Refresh funding for wireless (~$12 M annually)
in State Board’s budget request, in Governor’s
Budget – will it be in final General Assembly
budget?
9