Cellular Stipend Program
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for CITES-provisioned Cellular Services
Q. How much is my stipend?
A. The actual stipend amount you will receive is determined by your department
using Office of Business and Financial Services (OBFS) guidelines. CITES is not
involved in determining the stipend amount. Please contact your departmental
coordinator for more information.
Q. When will I start receiving the stipend?
A. Stipend payments are the responsibility of your department. CITES is not
involved in processing stipend payments. Please contact your departmental
coordinator for more information.
Q. What cellular carrier should I use?
A. If you elect to participate in the stipend program, you are the responsible party for
your cellular service. Although your department may have specific service
requirements to fulfill the expectations of your position (i.e., data/e-mail
connectivity), CITES does not place any restrictions on cellular carriers for
personal service and is not involved in any negotiations with cellular carriers for
personal services. However, coordination with CITES Communications
Customer Service is required for any changes to your existing CITES-provisioned
services.
Q. How much will cellular service cost me?
A. Costs are dependent upon the selected carrier, the service plan, and commitment
period. Please note, State of Illinois corporate rates and discounts do not apply to
personal services. However, many cellular carriers do offer personal discounts
for state employees. Discounts can range from 15 to 18 percent on selected plans.
Please check with your carrier’s customer service representative for more
information.
1
Cellular Stipend Program
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for CITES-provisioned Cellular Services
Q. Can I keep my existing CITES-provisioned service number and stay with
Verizon Wireless?
A. Yes, but a Verizon Wireless Assumption of Liability (AOL) form, which transfers
liability of the service from CITES to you, must be completed. This form requires
the signature of 1.) a CITES representative to relinquish responsibility for the
service and 2.) your signature to assume responsibility for the service.
In addition, Verizon Wireless policy requires a credit check on all new personal
accounts, so the form also requests your date of birth, social security number, and
driver’s license number. CITES does not need any personal information and will
NOT accept completed AOLs.
Until the service is actually transferred, CITES continues to be the responsible
party and you will be restricted from making any changes to the service. In
addition, any charges accrued during the transition period will be billed to your
department by CITES.
The cellular equipment that you are using for your CITES-provisioned service –
including handsets, smartphones, PDAs, air cards, and accessories -- is owned by
your department and must be returned to your departmental coordinator.
If your department authorizes you to continue to use the existing cellular
equipment, OBFS recommends that you and your department complete an
Equipment Loan Form regardless of the value of the device. The Equipment Loan
Form is valid for one year but can be extended for longer. Policy allows employees
to use loaned equipment for a period of two years after which the equipment must
be returned to the departmental contact.
For more information, see the OBFS web site:
http://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/Forms/EquipmentLoanToEmployeeInstructions.pdf
2
Cellular Stipend Program
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for CITES-provisioned Cellular Services
Q. If I assume responsibility for my existing Verizon Wireless service, am I locked
into a contract?
A. If you have CITES-provisioned cellular service and assume individual
responsibility for that service, there is no impact to the contract period nor is an
activation fee assessed. In addition, if you have not had your CITES-provisioned
service for two years, neither you nor your department will be charged early
termination fees. Verizon Wireless does provide incentives to individuals who
wish to secure services for a contracted period. More information can be
provided by Verizon Wireless representatives.
Q. If I assume responsibility for my existing service, can I add other family
members or lines to the plan?
A. Yes. Once the process of transferring liability from CITES is completed, you can
make any changes to the service that are offered by your carrier, including adding
new lines of service or combining with any of your existing service lines.
Q. Everyone knows my existing cellular number but I like another carrier. Can I
keep my number but change cellular carriers?
A. Yes. Moving a telephone number from one carrier to another is referred to as
“porting.” If you have not had your CITES-provisioned service for two years,
neither you nor your department will be charged “early termination” fees.
However, all CITES-provisioned services are blocked from porting. Therefore, if
you want to transfer the telephone number to your own personal carrier, your
departmental coordinator will need to submit a webTSR to CITES Customer
Service to request removal of the port block.
Please note: It is important that all porting be coordinated with CITES.
Most cellular carriers require a credit check for new service requests. Generally,
this involves providing the carrier’s customer service representative with your
date of birth, social security number, and/or driver’s license number. CITES
does not need any personal information and should NOT be provided with
personal information. In addition, many carriers assess an activation fee for new
service requests. Please check with your carrier’s customer service representative
for more information.
Most handsets are proprietary to the cellular carrier and will not work from one
network to another. In addition, the cellular equipment that you are using for your
CITES-provisioned service is owned by your department. This includes handsets,
smartphones, PDAs, air cards, and accessories. You must return any equipment
to your departmental coordinator, not to CITES.
3
Cellular Stipend Program
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for CITES-provisioned Cellular Services
Q. I already have a personal handset and service. Can I just discontinue the
CITES-provisioned service and use my existing personal service?
A. Yes. If your department deems you eligible to participate in the stipend, you can
use your existing service. However, your departmental coordinator must submit a
service request, or webTSR, to CITES to discontinue the CITES-provisioned
service and stop the billing. Please note: Your department will continue to be
billed for your CITES-provisioned service until the disconnect request is received
and processed.
Q. What if my credit is not approved?
A. If your carrier denies you credit, you may be required to make a deposit. The
deposit amount depends on your credit rating, the service plan you select, and the
carrier. Typically, deposits range from $150 to $400 and can be held for up to a
year. In most cases, the deposit is returned to you after a defined review period in
which no payment treatment is applied. CITES is not involved in any
negotiations with cellular carriers for personal services. However, any existing
CITES-provisioned service will remain in place until notification from you and/or
your departmental coordinator. Please check with your carrier’s customer service
representative for more information on credit checks and deposits
Q. What do I do with the current cellular device (handset, smartphone, PDA, air
card) that my department provisioned?
A. The cellular equipment that you are using for your CITES-provisioned service is
owned by your department. You must return any equipment (handset, smartphone,
PDA, air card, etc.) to your departmental coordinator, not to CITES. If your
department authorizes you to continue to use the existing cellular equipment, OBFS
recommends that you and your department complete an Equipment Loan Form
regardless of the value of the device. The Equipment Loan Form is valid for one
year but can be extended for longer. Policy allows employees to use loaned
equipment for a period of two years after which the equipment must be returned to
the departmental contact.
For more information, see the OBFS web site:
http://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/Forms/EquipmentLoanToEmployeeInstructions.pdf
4
Cellular Stipend Program
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for CITES-provisioned Cellular Services
Q. Can’t I just keep my existing handset since it was free when the service was
activated by my department?
A. No. Your existing equipment was obtained by your department and is therefore the
property of your department. If your department authorizes you to continue to use
the existing cellular equipment, OBFS recommends that you and your department
complete an Equipment Loan Form regardless of the value of the device. The
Equipment Loan Form is valid for one year but can be extended for longer. Policy
allows employees to use loaned equipment for a period of two years after which the
equipment must be returned to the departmental contact.
For more information, see the OBFS web site:
http://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/Forms/EquipmentLoanToEmployeeInstructions.pdf
Q. I’d like to get a new handset. Who pays for it?
A. If you participate in the stipend program, you are the responsible party for your
cellular service. Therefore, you are responsible for any costs associated with
handsets and/or accessories. Many cellular carriers will provide handsets at no
charge depending upon the service plan and commitment period. If your
department has specific handset requirements needed to fulfill the expectations of
your position (i.e., data/e-mail connectivity), you should work with your
departmental coordinator on possible reimbursement options.
Q. Are there any restrictions on the type of handset that I can have?
A. Please contact your departmental coordinator regarding any specific requirements
needed to fulfill the expectations of your position (i.e. data/e-mail connectivity).
It is important to note that many cellular carriers offer different handsets and
pricing through their different channels. For example, in some instances, a device
that is procured through the cellular carrier’s web site may not be available – or
supported – at that cellular carrier’s local authorized dealer.
Please check with your carrier’s representative for more information.
Q. Can I get an iPhone?
A. If you participate in the stipend program, you are the responsible party for your
cellular service and any device that uses that service. If you opt for an iPhone, it
is important to note that AT&T Mobility currently has an exclusive use
arrangement and is the only service provider available. Although iPhones are
available either through Apple or AT&T Mobility, CITES has been advised that
iPhones will only be supported by the company that provided the device. For
example, an iPhone purchased through Apple cannot be returned to AT&T
Mobility.
Please check with your carrier’s customer service representative for more
information.
5
Cellular Stipend Program
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for CITES-provisioned Cellular Services
Q. What is BIS?
A. BIS, or Blackberry Internet Service, is the service that comes with every
BlackBerry® smartphone activated with a data plan that allows for email
messages to automatically be pushed to the BlackBerry device. BIS is
provisioned by the cellular carrier and requires no additional licenses.
Q. What is BES?
A. BES, or Blackberry Enterprise Service, is the service used to configure
BlackBerry® smartphones activated with a data plan that allows you to synch
your email, calendar, tasks, contacts between your phone and your Exchange
mailbox.
Q. Where do I get BES?
A. BES is available for CITES Exchange Services accounts for a one-time, clientlicense fee of $60 per license. To subscribe, send a University Banner account
number and your NetID to exchange@uiuc.edu. Within one business day, your
BES account will be activated and your enterprise activation password will be
emailed to you.
For more information, see the CITES Exchange Services web site:
http://exchange-accounts.ad.uiuc.edu/MobileAccess.aspx
If you do not have a CITES Exchange Services account, you should check with
your Exchange Service provider for BES.
Q. What if my cellular service is paid for by my department but is not coordinated
through CITES?
A. CITES only provisions Verizon Wireless and/or Sprint Nextel services using the
state of Illinois contracts. Any Verizon Wireless and/or Sprint Nextel services
contracted directly between the department and carrier are not maintained by
CITES, nor is any service contracted with AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, or US
Cellular. If your department has contracted directly with a cellular carrier for
your existing service, then your department will be responsible for all
coordination involved in the migration to the stipend. CITES will willingly
supply any information on cellular carrier contacts to your departmental
coordinator.
6