November 2003 Announcements

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

The Schools and Libraries Client Service Bureau will be closed on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28, 2003 in observance of Thanksgiving. The Client Service Bureau will resume normal operations on Monday, December 1, 2003 at 8:00 a.m. EST.

To facilitate the online application process, the SLD has replaced the online Form 470 PDF with the traditional online Form 470 available in previous years. The online Interview format will also continue to be available.

To access the traditional version, click “Apply Online” on the SLD main page and select “Create Form 470” under the Form 470 column. Please note the following:

• If you started a Form 470 PDF and you want to continue your work, you MUST use the Interview format.

• If you start a new Form 470 now, you must complete your form using the version — traditional or Interview format — you use to start your form. You CANNOT switch to the other version to complete your form.

If you have any questions, you may Submit A Question or call the Client Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100.

The SLD will be improving the security for the Applicant PIN Request System. As part of this process, all applicant PINs will be deactivated on Wednesday night, November 19. The SLD will send an e-mail message to the e-mail address associated with each PIN as a notification of this deactivation. To certify forms online, applicants must re-apply for a PIN.

To obtain a new PIN, the person who was authorized and who signed (either on paper or online) an online Form 471 or a completed, online Form 486 that contains at least one funded FRN must enter the application number and the security code for that form. The authorized person requesting a PIN will also have to provide identifying contact information and a current e-mail address. If the system requirements are met, the SLD will send the authorized person an e-mail within one hour with the information necessary to access the new PIN. The PIN can be used immediately to certify a form online.

The restructured Applicant PIN System will enable enhanced security: an e-mail message will be sent to the e-mail address registered to the PIN each time the PIN is used. If the security of the PIN has been compromised, the authorized person will know immediately and should call the Client Service Bureau to alert the SLD.

Applicants whose Internet Service Providers do not update information on a real-time basis may encounter difficulties in accessing the Applicant PIN Request site before 10:00 AM EST on Monday, November 24. These applicants will receive an online message containing additional information if they attempt to access the site.

If you have any questions or need help in obtaining a new PIN, please Submit a Question to the Client Service Bureau or call 1-888-203-8100.

We apologize for any inconvenience this restructuring may cause.

WebEx training for service providers is now open for registrations for the following topics:

• SLD Website Overview
• Audits
• Form 498
• Item 21
• SLD DRT Tool Training
• Appeals
• Invoices
• Payment Process & Disbursements
• Electronic Invoicing
• Electronic Notifications
• Service Substitutions and SPIN Changes
• Eligible Telecom Provider

For further details on times and dates and to register, please go to webex and follow the registration instructions. We encourage you to attend the FCC Form 498 training. This is a newly revised Form 498 and it will now be available online. WebEx training notices will be posted on the web site and you can also receive notices through our service provider list serv. You can be added to the list to receive the service provider agenda and WebEx training notices electronically by sending an E-mail message to service provider listserv and put "subscribe sld-sp" (without the quotes) in the body of the message.

The SLD has designed a new option for submitting programmatic questions online.

Applicants, service providers and others with E-rate questions can access this option by clicking on the Submit a Question link in the “Contact Us” box on the right-hand side of this web page. The button links to an online form that allows users to submit questions about the program and submit attachments related to your question. This form replaces a number of the e-mail addresses formerly used to ask questions and submit attachments; the system will generate a reminder by e-mail to anyone attempting to use one of these e-mail addresses that questions should now be submitted using the new link. You will receive within one hour of submission an acknowledgement of your question and the assigned case number.

By completing the online form, the user provides the information that the SLD needs to research and answer a question, thus eliminating the need for multiple contacts. Answers will be returned by e-mail to the address supplied by the questioner.

For more information, please go to the Submit a Question link.

The SLD has posted a new document, Principles for Treating Entities Under Investigation, to the Reference Area of this web site. This document describes the conditions under which the SLD can make commitments and disbursements in situations where there is a pending law enforcement investigation.

Please note that the SLD will continue to deny all FRNs that it determines are inconsistent with program rules.

The Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2004 opened at noon today, November 5, 2003. Applicants who have completed the required 28-day posting period for their Forms 470 may now file Form 471.

There are two options available for filing a Form 471 online from the Apply Online page. The “Form 471 Interview” button takes applicants to an updated version of the Form 471 Interview format that was available last year. The “Create Form 471” button takes applicants to an updated version of the online format for the Form 471 used in previous years. Applicants who begin the filing process using one format can switch to the other format to complete their form.

Applicants filing on paper can download and print a paper copy of the Form 471 from the Applicant Forms page on this web site.

Applicants completing Form 471 should refer to the Form 471 Instructions, which are also available from the Applicant Forms page.

The SLD has posted important information for applicants filing Form 470 for Funding Year 2004 to the Reference Area of this web site.