Acronyms, Forms, Letters and Terminology Review

Acronyms, Forms, Letters and Terminology Review

Acronyms • USF: Universal Service Fund • SLD: Schools and Libraries Division • USAC: Universal Service Administrative Company • FCC: Federal Communications Commission

SLD Service • Client (or Customer) Service Bureau (CSB): E-rate help desk where applicants and service providers can get answers to questions (1-888-203-8100) • Program Integrity Assurance (PIA): team that reviews all funding requests for compliance with FCC rules

Form 470 Form 470: Description of Services Requested and Certification Form; first form required by applicants; posted to the SLD web site for at least 28 days before moving forward in the application process; the form opens the competitive bidding process for services listed either on the form or in the Request for Proposals (RFP) indicated on the form

Form 471 Form 471: Services Ordered and Certification Form; second form required by applicants; the form requests discounts from the SLD on eligible services to be provided to eligible schools, libraries and consortia of those entities

Form 472 (BEAR) Form 472: Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement Form (BEAR); form is used by the billed entity to request reimbursement for discounts on eligible services that have already been paid in full by the billed entity to the service provider; sometimes called the “applicant invoice”

Form 479 Form 479: Certification by Administrative Authority to Billed Entity of Compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act; filed by the Administrative Authority to the Billed Entity and NOT to the SLD or FCC (in West Virginia this form is completed by the county/district contact and sent to the WVDE/OIT)

Form 486 Form 486: Receipt of Service Confirmation Form; this is the third form required by applicants; the form notifies the SLD that the billed entity and/or eligible entities that it represents is receiving, is scheduled to receive or has received service in the relevant funding year from the named service provider(s)

Form 500 Form 500: Adjustment to Funding Commitment and Modification to Receipt of Service Confirmation Form; this form notifies the SLD of changes in start/expiration date of a contract or cancellation/reduction of funding requests (FRN)

Letters to Applicant and/or SP • Form 470 Receipt Notification Letter: letter sent to applicants informing them of the date their Form 470 was posted to the SLD web site, status of certification and the allowable vendor selection/contract date • Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL): letter sent to the applicant and service provider to indicate what has been entered into the SLD data system from the applicant’s Form 471

Letters to Applicant and/or SP Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL): letter informing the applicant of the SLD’s decision for each funding request; a letter also goes to the appropriate service provider; letters are mailed in “waves”

Letters to Applicant and/or SP Form 472 (BEAR Form) Notification Letter (NL): letter to both the applicant and service provider upon successful data entry of the BEAR; the letter further notifies the service provider that USAC will be issuing a check within approximately 15 days

Letters to Applicant and/or SP Form 486 Notification Letter (NL): letter to notify applicants that the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) has received and accepted an FCC Form 486; this notification confirms the information provided and is also shared with the service provider whose SPIN was identified on the affected Funding Request Number(s) (FRN)

Letters to Applicant and/or SP Form 500 Notification Letter (NL): letter to notify applicants that the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) has received and accepted an FCC Form 500; this notification confirms the information provided and is also shared with the service provider whose SPIN was identified on the affected Funding Request (FRN)

E-rate Numbers • Entity Number: a unique number assigned by the SLD to organizations and institutions as a means of identification on all applications and communications • Form 470 Application Number: a unique number (formerly the USCN) assigned to all Form 470 applications filed with the SLD; used by the applicant when completing the Form 471

E-rate Numbers • Form 471 Application Number: assigned to each Form 471 filed after data entry and is used to track the 471 at the SLD; used by the applicant when completing the Form 486 and/or Form 472 • Funding Request Number (FRN): assigned to each Block 5 of the Form 471 and is given a funding status on the FCDL

E-rate Numbers • Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN): a unique nine-digit number given to service providers participating in the E-rate program and required on all forms that reference that service provider • Applicant Created Identifier: a unique number assigned by the applicant on SLD forms

E-rate Numbers FCC Registration Number (FRN): a 10-digit number that is assigned to a business or individual registering with the FCC; this unique FRN is used to identify the registrant’s business dealings with the FCC; the FCC will use the FRN to determine if all of a registrant’s fees have been paid

E-rate Numbers • Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN): a nine-digit number that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires of all individuals, businesses and other employers to identify their tax accounts with the IRS • Employer Identification Number (EIN): for employers, including state and local government agencies and non-profit organizations, the TIN is the IRS-issued Employer Identification Number (EIN)

E-rate Beneficiaries • Eligible Entity: any school, library or consortium eligible, as defined by program rules, to participate in the E-rate program • Billed Entity: an entity that is responsible for making payments directly to the service provider; an entity that receives a bill, but does not make payments to the service provider on that bill, is not a billed entity

E-rate Beneficiaries • Consortium: a group of organizations or institutions that join together for the purpose of contracting for and applying for E-rate funds • Service Provider/Vendor: a business or organization that sells connections or equipment necessary for communications

E-rate Terms - Tariff • Tariffed Services: telecommunications services that you purchase at prices regulated by your state regulatory commission and/or the FCC, which do not require a signed, written contract • Tarrifed Services Provided Under a Contract: a service offered under one or more tariffs but for which a contract has been signed

E-rate Terms - Contracts • Multi-year Contract: a contract that covers more than one year • Voluntary Extensions: a contract featuring voluntary extensions means that the contract expires at the end of its original term and may be voluntarily extended for one or more years pursuant to the provisions in the contract

E-rate Terms - Contracts Master Contract: a contract that is filed and competitively bid by a state or third party on behalf of schools and/or libraries; eligible schools and libraries filing Form 470 may consider the rates and terms set forth in a master contract as bids; in addition, master contracts may be considered existing contracts if they meet the definition of a Qualified Existing Contract

E-rate Terms - Contracts Qualified Existing Contract: a signed, written contract executed pursuant to the posting of a Form 470 in a previous funding year or a contract signed on or before July 10, 1997 and reported on a Form 470 in a previous year as an existing contract

E-rate Terms - Contracts Legally Binding Agreements: used by the SLD as another term for contract; applicants and service providers should meet all FCC and state contract requirements; verbal agreements and quotes do not meet these FCC requirements; purchase orders may or may not meet state contract requirements

E-rate Terms - Services • Common Carrier: any telecommunications company that provides telecommunications services for a fee to the general public • Month-to-Month Services: services billed on a monthly basis without a formal, written contract; the monthly bill is considered evidence of a binding, legal arrangement

E-rate Terms - Services Duplicative Services: same functionality to the same population in the same location during the same period of time

E-rate Terms -Services Basic Conduit Access to the Internet: considered to include all the standard features typically provided by Internet Service Providers; this may include e-mail, address translation, protocol services, Web server space, caching services, and other features consistent with good business practices and competitive offerings, including maintenance, monitoring, and management of their own equipment

E-rate Terms - Services Basic Maintenance Services: are “necessary” if, but for the maintenance at issue, the connection would not function and serve its intended purpose with the degree of reliability ordinarily provided in the marketplace to entities receiving such service without E-rate discounts

E-rate Terms - Services Basic Telephone Service: wireline or wireless single line voice service (local, cellular/PCS, and/or long distance) and mandatory fees associated with such service (e.g., federal and state taxes and universal service fees)

SLD & WV Web References • http://www.usac.org/sl/ • http://www.usac.org/sl/tools/reference-area.aspx • http://www.usac.org/sl/tools/required-forms.aspx • http://access.k12.wv.us • http://access.k12.wv.us/erate/

Acronyms, Forms, Letters and Terminology Review