August 2002 Announcements

Please click on the topic below to view the most recent announcements:

SLD has recently made two improvements to its web site that will assist users in finding needed information.

The SLD Search Engine is now operational, initially on a limited basis. As content is reviewed for accuracy, the search capability will be expanded.

The Search Engine is found on the right side of most SLD web pages. A link for Search Tips is also provided.

The second web enhancement appears in the SLD Reference Area. Users can now choose to see document titles organized either alphabetically or by topic.

The Schools and Libraries Client Service Bureau will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2002 in observance of Labor Day. The Client Service Bureau will resume normal operations on Tuesday, September 3, 2002 at 8:00 a.m., EDT.

SLD has posted additional information in the Reference Area of this web site concerning “On-premise Priority 1 Equipment.”  This term refers to equipment located at the applicant site that is a part of a Priority 1 (Telecommunications Services or Internet Access) service.

The new information is an outgrowth of a “Technology Dialogue” teleconference that the SLD hosted on July 2.  Contributors to the dialogue requested additional guidance concerning the acceptable configurations for On-premise Priority 1 components.  Participants included representatives from BellSouth, Enterasys Networks, IBM, Qwest, SBC Communications, Spectrum Communications, Sprint, the state of Tennessee, and Trillion Digital Communications.

The document indicates that the components located at an applicant site are presumed to be Internal Connections, but that this presumption can be overcome in certain limited cases.  Thus, some equipment at the applicant site can potentially be funded as Priority 1 services — Telecommunications Services or Internet Access.  Since Priority 1 services have a higher likelihood of being funded than Priority 2 services (Internal Connections), this distinction may be advantageous to applicants in the narrow circumstances under which the FCC conditions are met.

Some of the limiting conditions for On-premise Priority 1 Equipment are as follows:

• Applicable to WAN (not LAN) components
• Must have a specific demarcation between the WAN and LAN
• Must be continuous (i.e., no intervening Internal Connections components)
• Must be economically justifiable
• Must meet definitions for Telecommunications Services or Internet Access.

The new information provides clarification that will help applicants and service providers select the proper category of service for funding requests.  Examples of acceptable and unacceptable configurations are provided.  You can view the full information in Eligibility for On-premise Priority 1 Equipment posted in the Reference Area of this web site.

In response to applicant and service provider requests, the Schools & Libraries (USAC) is providing a preliminary summary of the auditors’ observations for the first and second rounds of beneficiary audits for the Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism.  USAC’s review of the first round of beneficiary audit is complete.  Upon the completion of the review and validation of the round two auditors’ reports, USAC will post a web notice to inform applicants and service providers of resulting observations and related concerns from both rounds, and suggest a “best practice” to address each concern.

You can view this preliminary summary in Beneficiary Audits - Preliminary Auditors’ Observations posted in the Reference Area of this web site.

The SLD has added fax and e-mail options to the guidance on CIPA certifications posted in the Reference Area of this web site. The fax number and e-mail address are available for applicants in Category 3 to request a restoration of funds that were reduced or cancelled pursuant to a Form 500. They may also be used by applicants who believe they are in Category 4 but cannot verify that their Service Start Date has been revised. For more information, please refer to the New Guidance on CIPA Certifications .

The BEAR Approval letter has a new look and a new name. The SLD has renamed the letter “Form 472 BEAR Notification Letter” and made some improvements. The Form 472 BEAR Notification Letter now provides payment information for all Funding Request Numbers (FRNs) submitted on the invoice, whether payment is approved or denied. The letter also indicates if a BEAR invoice is cancelled and why it was cancelled.  A sample of the Form 472 BEAR Notification Letter is posted in the Sample Letters section of the Reference Area of this web site.  The Form 472 BEAR Notification Letter will continue to be issued to the service provider, with a copy also being sent to the applicant.  Production of these letters is scheduled to start this week.  Definitions for Invoice Error Codes featured in these letters are provided in the Service Provider Area of this web site.

After consultation between the Wireline Competition Bureau of the FCC (Bureau) and the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company, the Bureau has directed the SLD to put the following guidance on this web site.  The New Guidance on CIPA Certifications is located in the Reference Area of this web site.

You can now change certain contact information on your Form 471 after the SLD has issued your Funding Commitment Decision Letter.  Information on the procedure for making such changes is contained in Contact Information Changes posted in the Reference Area of this web site.  You can also call the Client Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100 for guidance.