MAEDS Technology Readiness
Infrastructure Grant (TRIG)
Activity 1A
E-Rate Activity
Josh Hayes - WMISD
Jim Rarus – Wayne RESA
2013 Category Three:
Statewide Activities
Collaborative Services
E-Rate Activity
Intra-Michigan Technology Readiness
Leadership Consortium
Wexford-Missaukee ISD Awardee
E-Rate Activity
Bill Thompson, Project Manager
Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD)
Computer/Network Operations Manager
Fourty years at MISD
Member of 4 group of 5-4-3-2-1
Involved with E-rate since “Day 1”
Experience as School, District and Consortium
E-Rate Activity
Advisory Committee Membership
IMTRLC
• Josh Hayes
• Tom Johnson
GMEC
• Beth Soggs – Member of 5 group
• Jim Rarus
KIC
• Phil Carolan – Member of 4 group
E-Rate Activity
Advisory Committee Membership
RNMC
• Jason Kronemeyer – 5 group
SWMC
• Sam Accorso
• Ben Daugherty
LEA
• Darren Schiltz
• Craig McBain – Chippewa Valley
Schools
• Joe Bouman – Big Rapids Public
E-Rate Activity
What is E-Rate
The FCC (at the direction of Congress in 1996)
established and continues to
oversee the E‐rate Program. The Schools and
Libraries Division (SLD) of the
Universal Service Administrative Company
(USAC), administers the E‐rate Program for the
FCC.
E-Rate Activity
What is E-Rate – Who is eligible
Elementary and secondary schools
School districts
Non‐traditional facilities (conditional by state)
Libraries and library systems
Consortia
E-Rate Activity
What is eligible?
Priority 1 (funded before Priority 2):
Internet Access – ISP, E-mail, Web hosting, DNS, Domain registration, etc.
Telecommunications & Telecommunication Services – Voice, Voice Mail,
iVoIP, Cellular, Data Circuits, Leased lines, Dark Fiber, etc.
Priority 2:
Internal Connections – Cabling, Switches, Wireless Access, Servers (if
providing eligible service), etc.
Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections (BMIC)- Service contracts,
Hardware and Software fixes (billed on time and materials basis (no fixed
cost maintenance/warranty contracts).
E-Rate Activity
What is E-Rate – How much $
Discounts are 20‐90 percent of eligible costs.
Discount level for a school depends on the
percentage of students who are eligible for the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in the
school and the location of the school
(Urban or Rural) .
Districts and Consortia receive weighted
average of the participating schools discount.
E-Rate Activity
What is E-Rate – How much $
Originally the program started at $2.25 billion
nationwide. In 2010 the FCC allowed this
amount to be indexed for inflation. Today $2.9
billion (before prior year unused funds are
rolled over) is anticipated. In FY2013 almost
$5 billion in applications were received. For
the first time Priority 1 requests exceeded the
cap (without rollover funds).
E-Rate Activity
Interesting Facts E-rate FY 2013*
Internet Access:
• 1,279 Funding requests represents
• $22.6 total cost/ $16.6 discounts (73.5%)
• 149 unique service providers
• Top four are Merit, AT&T, Comcast
Business and Verizon Wireless
• Six are ISDs-ESAs
• Rank 5th, 7th, 14th, 36th, 45th and 51st.
*All dollar amounts in millions
E-Rate Activity
Interesting Facts E-rate FY 2013*
Telecommunications Services:
• 2,576 Funding requests represents
• $46.9 total cost/ $35.5 discounts (75.7%)
• 146 unique service providers
• Top four are Michigan Bell Telephone,
Verizon Wireless, Windstream and
Computer Software Innovations#
• At least two are ISDs-ESAs
*All dollar amounts in millions
E-Rate Activity
Interesting Facts E-rate FY 2013*
Libraries:
• 177 Internet funding requests
• $2.3 total cost/ $1.8 discounts
• 299 Telecommunications Services funding
requests
• $1.1 total costs / $.76 discounts
*All dollar amounts in millions
E-Rate Activity
Benefits to the Local Districts
Drive costs down as low as possible
Simplify E-rate filing
Make sure all legal assurances are met
Exploit E-rate to the most benefit
E-Rate Activity
Outcomes/Deliverables
Design and implement a statewide bid for Internet
connectivity
Establish training for school staffs and consultants that
oversee the USF process will be ongoing and will
integrate the statewide bid process.
E-Rate Activity
Outcomes/Deliverables
Develop state master contracts that districts can leverage
to drive down their cost of Wide Area Network (WAN)
connectivity.
Successful implementation and utilization should ensure
that every school has enough Internet bandwidth to take
high stakes online assessments.
E-Rate Activity
Timeline – Past
April - June
• Identify Advisory Committee
and Workgroup
• Fact finding and research
July September
• Determine scope and services
to be sought
• Contract with E-Rate Central
• RFI process & write RFP - Issue
E-Rate Activity
E-rate Central eratesupport@22itrig.org
• Review and approve technology plans
• Provide technical assistance and training to schools
• Regular Communication with the Michigan E-Rate
community
• Regular coordination and support of E-rate consortiums
and E-rate applicant consultants
E-Rate Activity
E-rate Central eratesupport@22itrig.org
• Serve as a point of contact for Universal Services Administration
Company (USAC) School and Library Division (SLD) reviewers
seeking additional help in resolving issues with applicants
• Monitor, track, alert and intervene to ensure that individual
applicants E-rate funds are obtained/recovered in a timely manner
• Participate on the MDE’s behalf in the State E-Rate Coordinators'
Alliance (“SECA”)
E-Rate Activity
Discussion
Leaving money on the table
Problems with E-rate
Experiences
Statewide 470
E-Rate Activity
Timeline – near term
October –
December
• Process RFP response(s)
• Award & establish contract(s)
• Regional training events
E-Rate Activity
RFP information
Issued and 470 posted on October 9th
Questions (vendors) October 21st
Answers/Clarifications posted October 25th
Due and opened November 8th
Bid award December 16th
Contracts negotiated and available ASAP - TBD
E-Rate Activity
Regional Training events
Five planned for first two weeks of December
Locations (to be determined):
• UP – Marquette?, Gaylord?, Mt. Pleasant?, Kalamazoo?, Warren?
To be presented by E-Rate Central and E-Rate Activity
E-Rate Activity
Regional Training events
Will include FY2014 E-Rate program updates and
changes
Grant expectations – using E-Rate Contracts
Local 470 & consideration of E-Rate Contract for
vendor selection(s) and Local 471
E-Rate Activity
Timeline – near term
January –
March
2014
• Follow-on training
• Assistance as requested
• FY2015 planning
E-Rate Activity
Timeline – longer term (2014)
April –
June
• Evaluate success of FY14
• Repair/replace process as
needed
• Plan for sustainability
July –
June
• Rinse, lather and repeat
• Expanded scope (?)
• Training, training, training
E-Rate Activity
Questions and Discussion
ConnectEd
E-rate 2.0
What’s missing?
Q&A