E-Rate Terminology

Basic Terms

E-rate: a common name for the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Universal Service Fund: a source that provides discounts to telecommunications carriers for delivering affordable services to various categories of customers, including schools and libraries\
FCC: Federal Communications Commission, the regulatory agency that oversees the E-rate, among many other responsibilities.
Telecommunications Act: The Telecommunications Act of 1996, among other things, established the federal universal service support mechanism for eligible schools and libraries.
SLD: Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company responsible for administering universal service.
USAC: The Universal Service Administrative Company is the parent company responsible for overseeing the administration of the Universal Service Fund.

Acronyms

CSB (Client Service Bureau): E-rate help desk for applicants and service providers; can be reached by calling 1-888-203-8100
E-Rate Help: desk where applicant and service providers can get answers to questions. 1-888-203-8100
PIA (Program Integrity Assurance): SLD’s organization that reviews applications for compliance with FCC rules
POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service): descriptor for traditional systems used to place and receive phone calls
TCSB (Technical Client Service Bureau): SLD’s organization for responding to technical questions about eligible services and program rules

Applicant Forms

Form 470 (Services Requested): the first step in the application process
Form 471 (Services Ordered): the second step required in the application process
Form 472 (Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement): used by applicants seeking a discount reimbursement for bills paid in full
Form 486 (Services Confirmation): the third step required in the application process
Form 500 (Adjustment of Funding Commitment and Modification to Services Confirmation): used by applicants to change or cancel a request

Vendor Forms

Form 473 (Service Provider Annual Certification): used by participating providers; must be filed annually
Form 474 (Service Provider Invoice Form): for invoicing SLD for E-rate-eligible delivered services
Form 498 (Service Provider Information Form): information that must be filed after receipt of a Service Provider Identification Number

Letters

Form 470 Notification Letter: document sent to applicants informing them of the date their Form 470 was posted to the SLD web site for bidding
Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL): notification to an applicant and vendors of the discount level that has been awarded on each funding request
Receipt Acknowledgement Letter (RAL): notification sent to applicants and vendors that the SLD has completed entering the information from a Form 471 into its systems

Numbers to Remember

Entity Number: A ten-digit number assigned to each entity applicant used to track applications for that applicant at SLD. Often called the billed entity number.
Applicant-Created Identifier: a unique number assigned by the applicant on SLD forms
Entity Number: a ten-digit number assigned to an applicant to allow tracking of an application status; often called the billed entity number
Form 470 Number: a 15-digit number (formerly the Universal Service Control Number) assigned to all Form 470 applications filed with the SLD
Form 471 Number: a number (up to ten digits) assigned to each Form 471 that contains data entries; used to track the form’s status at SLD
Funding Request Number (FRN): a designation, referenced in the Funding Commitment Decisions Letter, for each item in Block 5 of the Form 471
SPIN: a unique nine-digit number given to service providers after their submission of Form 473; applicants need this number to complete Form 471

E-Rate Identity

Billed Entity: the organization that pays the bill and writes the check for delivered services
Consortium: a group of organizations or institutions that join together to contract and apply for E-rate funds
Eligible Entity: a term referring to any school, library or consortium eligible to participate in the E-rate program
Service Providers/Vendors: businesses or organizations that sell Communications connectivity or equipment

Other Related Terms

Month-to-Month Contract: Services billed on a monthly basis without a formal, written contract
Pre-discount Cost: the cost of service before an E-rate discount is applied
Shared Services: services delivered to more than one site; discount based on an average or aggregate level
Site-Specific Services: services delivered to only one entity, such as a single school
Tariffed Service: telephone service (e.g., local and long distance) regulated by state and federal officials
Weighted Average: the discount amount calculated to reflect information such as the numbers of students in a school district that are eligible for the National Free Lunch Program
Window: the time during which all Form 471s are treated as if filed on the same day
POTS: Plain Old Telephone Service for placing and receiving phone calls.
Common Carrier: Any telecommunications company that provides telecommunications services for a fee to the general public or to businesses.
Internal Connections: The wires and equipment needed for connecting computers within an entity.