E-Rate is the commonly used name for the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The program provides discounts to assist most schools and libraries in the United States (and U.S. territories) to obtain affordable telecommunications and Internet access.
| IMPORTANT
DATES: |
|
DATE ISSUED: |
October 8, 2007 |
|
PROGRAM YEAR: |
July 1, 2008 -
June 30, 2009 |
|
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: |
December 4, 2007 |
POINT OF CONTACT:
William J. Fiske,
Coordinator of Technology
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Instruction
255 Westminster St./Fifth Floor, Room 513
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Telephone #: 401-222-8450
Fax #: 401-222-6033
E-mail:
fiske@ride.ri.net
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE)
(1) will submit a FORM 470 application (BID) for "telecomm (data
line) services" for all schools/districts in the state to the E-Rate program
based on this RFP;
(2) RIDE is seeking telecommunications services in this RFP. That is to say,
only lines, or equivalent conduit services, are being sought from
telecommunications providers who meet the carrier description provided by the
E-Rate program as reprinted here.
Eligibility Requirements for All Telecommunications Services:
To be eligible for support, Telecommunications Services must be provided by an
eligible telecommunications provider, that is, one who provides
Telecommunications on a common carriage basis.
A telecommunications service is “the offering of telecommunications for a fee
directly to the public, or to such classes of users as to be effectively
available directly to the public, regardless of the facilities used” [47 U.S.C.
153(46)]. Telecommunications is defined as "the transmission, between or among
points specified by the user, of information of the user’s choosing, without
change in the form or content of the information as sent and received" [47 U.S.C.
153(43)]. A State commission may upon its own motion or upon request designate a
common carrier that meets the requirements as set forth in the Communications
Act of 1934, Section 214 {47 U.S.C. 214}(e)(2) Designation of Eligible
Telecommunications Carriers.
Please see the RFP attached for the locations where services will be provided
and the other requirements to be a successful bidder.
On the same Form 470, the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE) is seeking Internet Access bids on behalf of a consortium that includes all schools, public and private, in the State of Rhode Island. The complete list of sites which need Internet Access is provided in a spreadsheet which accompanies the Telecommunications Line RFP. See the attached Internet Access RFP for additional details.