The Eligible Services List for Funding Year 2024 has now been released (see attached). *Newly Eligible - School Bus Wi-Fi* Of note is the inclusion of school bus Wi-Fi as newly eligible. As you consider whether or not to incorporate this into your funding requests, you should pay careful attention to the guidelines in the ESL and additional guidelines that are sure to come as it is implemented. For now, please be aware of the following considerations (this list is not in any way meant to be inclusive of all rules and guidelines): - School Bus Wi-Fi Equipment to make the Wi-Fi service functional (e.g., antennas, routers, modems), as well as associated installation fees, are eligible as a Category One service - Software necessary to operate or maintain the Category One network equipment is eligible - Bus Wi-Fi maintenance and operation charges are ineligible - Bus Wi-Fi service is subject to CIPA - You may enter into service contracts with multiple service providers - some buses can be served by one provider, and other buses served by a different provider - applicants with a rural designation can request funding for a solution that allows one bus to be served by multiple service providers - Equipment and service is eligible for both school-owned buses and for buses that are leased or contracted - Equipment and service is ineligible for occasionally-used chartered buses, municipal and city buses generally used for the transport of non-students, and any other types of school-owned, leased, or contracted vehicles (such as vans and cars) - Services can only be enabled during a school bus’s normal operating hours or when there is a clear educational purpose for enabling school bus Wi-Fi connections outside of these hours --- otherwise applicants are required to disable the connections outside of these permitted uses *Important Reminders* To apply for any E-Rate that is not arranged by Networkmaine, you must first launch a competitive bidding process by filing a Form 470 for that funding year using the Eligible Services List as a guideline for the products and services that are eligible for E-Rate funding. If you have an *expiring contract* or want to request E-Rate for *new products or services* for FY2024 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025): - The deadline to file your FY2024 Form 470 is 28 days before the closing of the yet to be announced FY2024 Form 471 filing window (TBD but expected to open in January and close in March). - The Administrative Window for making changes to your EPC profile and updating enrollment and NSLP numbers will close just before the Form 471 Window opens. If you previously filed a Form 470 that resulted in an *ongoing multi-year contract* that extends at least through June 30, 2025: - You do not need to file a new FY2024 Form 470 for those specific services covered by the existing Form 470 and the resulting contract. - You will however still need to file an FY2024 Form 471 to request the desired funding for those services for that funding year. - Any additional products and services would require both a new FY2024 Form 470 and FY2024 Form 471. _________________________________________________ Anne Perloff Maine State E-Rate Coordinator for Schools Networkmaine, University of Maine System UMS:IT Web: erate.networkmaine.net Email: [log in to unmask] Phone: 207-581-3584 Mail: Networkmaine 5752 Neville Hall, Room 255 Orono, ME 04469-5752