*The FY2015 Form 471 filing window opens today, January 14, 2015 at 12
noon, and it will close at 11:59 pm EDT on Thursday, March 26, 2015.*

This is for entities who file for E-Rate beyond the Internet and transport
services received as a member of the Networkmaine consortium.

Remember that you must wait AT LEAST 28 days after your Form 470 is posted
to the USAC website and any associated RFPs are released before you select
your service provider, sign a contract (for contracted services), and sign
and submit a Form 471.

All Form 471s must be completed online this year and the web interface is
quite different than in previous years, although hopefully you will find
that it is different in a better way.

Anyone who will be filing a Form 471 for FY2015 should spend some time in
USAC's Form 471 Training Site [ located at
https://sltools-training.universalservice.org/portal-applicant/form471/new/#/
] to get acclimated.

The training site will get you familiarized with the way that the new Form
471 interface works and you can go through the steps of creating a test
form. *Caution: you cannot use this training site to submit and certify
your real Form 471!!!* This site is only a playground for practice purposes.

I will be developing some training materials soon. Please be patient. The
first time I was able to get a peek at the new interface myself was
yesterday!

_____________________________________________

*Anne Perloff*
Maine State E-Rate Coordinator for Schools
Networkmaine ... a division of the University of Maine System

Web: www.networkmaine.net/erate/

Email: [log in to unmask]

Phone: 207-561-3584

Fax: 207-561-3531

Mail:
Networkmaine
5752 Neville Hall Rm 244
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469

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