‘E-rate: What’s New for 2025?’ workshops are now open for registration! All workshops will be held online only, via GoTo Webinar.
NOTE: This online workshop is being offered on several days and at varied times, to give participants multiple opportunities to find a convenient time to attend. The same information will be provided at each workshop, so you only need to attend one session. A recorded version will also be made available after all of the live sessions have been held.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate?
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment. And new for 2025: Wi-Fi hotspots!
The E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) is your online portal for all E-rate interactions. With your organizational account you can use EPC to file forms, track your application status, communicate with USAC, and more.
In this workshop, Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, will explain the E-rate program and show you how to access and use your account in EPC to submit your Funding Year 2025 E-rate application.
Dates and times:
November 20 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
November 22 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
November 25 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
November 26 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
To register for any of these sessions, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘e-rate 2025’.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate? Find out on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2025’ on Wednesday, July 24 at 10am CT.
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment. And new for 2025: off-premises use of Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless Internet services.
This session will be a general overview of the E-rate program. Full in-depth E-rate workshops will be held later in the year. It will be useful to libraries who have never applied for E-rate, libraries who are new to E-rate, and current E-rate libraries who just want a short refresher on what E-rate is all about.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The dates and rules in this session will be specific to E-rate Funding Year 2025.
Presenter: Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
July 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Screaming Frog SEO: A tool to keep websites neat and up to date
Aug. 7 – Learning New Technologies On-the-Fly: Vendorbrarian to Public Librarian
Aug. 14 – Operating a Culture of Belonging: Personal Librarian 2.0
Sept. 4 – Board Games & Computer Science in Libraries
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
As of May 2, USAC has released two Waves of Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for E-rate Funding Year 2024. These Waves include $6,641,645.17 in funding commitments for 318 Nebraska school and public library applicants.
Congratulations to all Nebraska schools and public libraries who have been funded!
A list of public libraries who have received E-rate funding is on the NLC E-rate webpage. The 2024 list will be updated as new funding waves are announced.
If you haven’t received your FCDL yet, don’t panic! There are many more weekly Waves to come as USAC processes more applications. This is just the start of Funding Year 2024, more approvals are coming.
When your FCDL is ready, it will be attached as a printable PDF to the email notifying you that your FCDL has been issued. It will also be available in the Notifications section of your EPC account, but you are no longer required to log into your EPC account to view it.
IMPORTANT: As soon as you receive your FCDL, you should immediately go on to the next step in the E-rate process, filing your Form 486. This form is submitted in your EPC account. Information and instructions on how to do that can be found on the USAC website.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your public library’s E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Porter, State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
The deadline to submit the second form in the E-rate process, Form 471, for Funding Year 2024 is Wednesday, March 27. The application filing window for Form 471 opened on January 17.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 471! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you could miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether.
IMPORTANT: Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. You can find your Notification within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
Today’s E-rate News Brief has last-minute tips and links to instructional videos. USAC also conducted a series of webinars focused on E-Rate topics related to FCC Forms 470 and 471 – you can watch the recordings on the USAC Webinars webpage. To keep up on E-rate news, subscribe to the USAC E-rate News Brief.
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact the State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries in Nebraska, Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
The E-rate Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2024 opened today at noon EST and will close on Wednesday, March 27 at 11:59 pm EDT. You may now log on to the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) and file your FCC Form 471 for FY2024.
This makes Wednesday, February 28, the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether. So, get your E-rate Form 470 submitted as soon as possible!
IMPORTANT: Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. You can find your Notification within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact the State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries in Nebraska, Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
The FCC Form 471 Application Filing Window for Funding Year 2024 will open on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at noon EST and close on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 11:59:59 EDT. You can read the USAC announcement for full details.
To prepare for the window opening:
If you haven’t already done so, file your FCC Form 470 now! You do not have to wait for the Form 471 window to open.
To file your FCC Form 470, log into the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC). You must wait 28 days after your FCC Form 470 is posted to the USAC website before you can close your competitive bidding process, select a service provider, sign a contract (if applicable), and submit an FCC Form 471. If you issue an RFP after the FCC Form 470 is posted, you must wait 28 days from the release of the RFP to select a service provider.
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 is the deadline to post your FCC Form 470 to the USAC website or issue an RFP and still complete all of these actions before the window closes.
Update Your EPC Profile During the Administrative Window – Update your EPC profile by January 12, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Review your EPC profile and confirm all of your information is accurate including your organization’s name, address, and other details. Your profile is currently unlocked and available for you to insert any further updates, but will be locked again before the 471 Filing Window opens. Libraries should confirm their square footage, main branch, and public school district of the main branch information is correct and that any bookmobiles or kiosks are included. View the EPC Administrative Window webinar slides to learn more.
Please contact Christa Porter , Nebraska State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, if you have any questions or need any assistance submitting your E-rate forms.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate?
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment.
The E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) is your online portal for all E-rate interactions. With your organizational account you can use EPC to file forms, track your application status, communicate with USAC, and more.
In this workshop, Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, will explain the E-rate program and show you how to access and use your account in EPC to submit your Funding Year 2024 E-rate application.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or please contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
‘E-rate: What’s New for 2024?’ workshops are now open for registration! All workshops will be held online only, via GoTo Webinar.
NOTE: This online workshop is being offered on multiple days and at varied times. The same information will be provided at each workshop, so you only need to attend one session. A recorded version will also be made available after all of the live sessions have been held.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate?
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment.
The E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) is your online portal for all E-rate interactions. With your organizational account you can use EPC to file forms, track your application status, communicate with USAC, and more.
In this workshop, Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, will explain the E-rate program and show you how to access and use your account in EPC to submit your Funding Year 2024 E-rate application. Dates and times:
November 20 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
November 21 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
November 28 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
November 30 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
To register for any of these sessions, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘e-rate 2024’.
As of May 25, USAC has released four Waves of Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for E-rate Funding Year 2023. These Waves include $9,119,082.78 in funding commitments for 410 Nebraska school and public library applicants.
Congratulations to all Nebraska schools and public libraries who have been funded!
A list of public libraries who have received E-rate funding is on the NLC E-rate webpage. The 2023 list will be updated as new funding waves are announced.
If you haven’t received your FCDL yet, don’t panic! There are many more weekly Waves to come as USAC processes more applications. This is just the start of Funding Year 2023, more approvals are coming.
When your FCDL is ready, it will be attached as a printable PDF to the email notifying you that your FCDL has been issued. It will also be available in the Notifications section of your EPC account, but you are no longer required to log into your EPC account to view it.
IMPORTANT: As soon as you receive your FCDL, you should immediately go on to the next step in the E-rate process, filing your Form 486. This form is submitted in your EPC account. Information and instructions on how to do that can be found on the USAC website.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your public library’s E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Porter, State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
Tuesday, March 28 is the deadline to submit the second form in the E-rate process, Form 471, for Funding Year 2023. The application filing window for Form 471 opened on January 18.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 471! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you could miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether.
IMPORTANT:Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. You can find your Notification within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
The March 16 E-rate News Brief has last-minute tips and links to instructional videos. USAC also conducted a series of office hour webinars focused on E-Rate topics related to FCC Forms 470 and 471 – you can watch the recordings on the USAC Webinars webpage. To keep up on E-rate news, subscribe to the USAC E-rate News Brief.
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact the State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries in Nebraska, Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
Tuesday, February 28 is the deadline to submit the first form in the E-rate process, Form 470, for the upcoming 2023 Funding Year.
The Filing Window for submitting the second form in the process, Form 471, opened on January 18, and will close on Tuesday, March 28. This makes February 28 the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether.
So, get your E-rate process started and submit your Form 470 as soon as possible!
Not sure if you’ve done your 470 yet? No problem! You can look up your E-rate forms to check their status in your E-rate EPC account, to be sure that you have submitted and certified them:
When you are logged into your EPC account, and you are on your Landing Page, scroll all the way to the bottom – under ‘FCC Forms and Post-Commitment Requests’ you can look up your FCC Forms. The Form Type will default to the 470. Choose the Funding Year – 2023. When the results come up, your forms will be listed below the search boxes. If the Status is ‘Certified’ or ‘Committed’, then the Form and the Certification has been received by USAC. If it says ‘Incomplete’ or there are no results, then you still need to submit your 470.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
The January 18 E-rate Special Edition News Brief has detailed tips, steps in the E-rate process, and links to user guides and instructional videos. USAC also conducted a series of office hour webinars focused on E-Rate topics related to FCC Forms 470 and 471 – you can watch the recordings on the USAC Webinars webpage. To keep up on E-rate news, subscribe to the USAC E-rate News Brief.
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
The E-rate Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2023 opened today at noon EST and will close on Tuesday, March 28 at 11:59 pm EDT. You may now log on to the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) and file your FCC Form 471 for FY2023.
This makes Tuesday, February 28, the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether. So, get your E-rate Form 470 submitted as soon as possible!
IMPORTANT: Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. You can find your Notification within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact the State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries in Nebraska, Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
The FCC Form 471 Application Filing Window for Funding Year 2023 will open on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at noon EST and close on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 11:59:59 EDT. You can read the USAC announcement for full details.
To prepare for the window opening:
If you haven’t already done so, file your FCC Form 470 now! You do not have to wait for the Form 471 window to open.
To file your FCC Form 470, log into the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC). You must wait 28 days after your FCC Form 470 is posted to the USAC website before you can close your competitive bidding process, select a service provider, sign a contract (if applicable), and submit an FCC Form 471. If you issue an RFP after the FCC Form 470 is posted, you must wait 28 days from the release of the RFP to select a service provider.
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 is the deadline to post your FCC Form 470 to the USAC website or issue an RFP and still complete all of these actions before the window closes.
Update Your EPC Profile During the Administrative Window – Update your EPC profile by January 16, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Review your EPC profile and confirm all of your information is accurate including your organization’s name, address, and other details. Your profile is currently unlocked and available for you to insert any further updates, but will be locked again before the 471 Filing Window opens. Libraries should confirm their square footage, main branch, and public school district of the main branch information is correct and that any bookmobiles or kiosks are included.
Please contact Christa Porter , Nebraska State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, if you have any questions or need any assistance submitting your E-rate forms.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate?
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment.
The E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) is your online portal for all E-rate interactions. With your organizational account you can use EPC to file forms, track your application status, communicate with USAC, and more.
In this workshop, Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, will explain the E-rate program and show you how to access and use your account in EPC to submit your Funding Year 2023 E-rate application.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or please contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
‘E-rate: What’s New for 2023?’ workshops are now open for registration! All workshops will be held online only, via GoTo Webinar.
NOTE: This online workshop is being offered on multiple days and at varied times. The same information will be provided at each workshop, so you only need to attend one session. A recorded version will also be made available after all of the live sessions have been held.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate?
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment.
The E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) is your online portal for all E-rate interactions. With your organizational account you can use EPC to file forms, track your application status, communicate with USAC, and more.
In this workshop, Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, will explain the E-rate program and show you how to access and use your account in EPC to submit your Funding Year 2023 E-rate application. Dates and times:
November 15 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
November 17 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
November 21 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
November 22 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
To register for any of these sessions, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘e-rate 2023’.
On April 23, USAC released Wave 1 of Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for E-rate Funding Year 2022. This first Wave includes $7,109,154.97 in funding commitments for 275 Nebraska school and public library applicants.
Congratulations to all Nebraska schools and public libraries who have been funded!
A list of public libraries who have received E-rate funding is on the NLC E-rate webpage. The 2022 list will be updated as new funding waves are announced. For more details and a list of all E-rate applications for both schools and public libraries, you can use USAC’s E-rate FRN Status Tool FY2016+, which provides funding request data including funding status, funding wave data, and disbursements. View the training video to learn how to use this tool.
If you haven’t received your FCDL yet, don’t panic! There are many more weekly Waves to come as USAC processes more applications. This is just the start of Funding Year 2022, more approvals are coming.
When your FCDL is ready, it will be attached as a printable PDF to the email notifying you that your FCDL has been issued. It will also be available in the Notifications section of your EPC account, but you are no longer required to log into your EPC account to view it.
IMPORTANT: As soon as you receive your FCDL, you should immediately go on to the next step in the E-rate process, filing your Form 486. This form is submitted in your EPC account. Information and instructions on how to do that can be found on the USAC website.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your public library’s E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Porter, State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
The deadline to submit the second form in the E-rate process, Form 471, for Funding Year 2022 is Tuesday, March 22. The application filing window for Form 471 opened on January 12.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 471! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you could miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether. So, log into your E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) account and submit your Form 471 as soon as you are allowed!
IMPORTANT: Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. You can find your Notification within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact the State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries in Nebraska, Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
Next Tuesday, February 22 is the deadline to submit the first form in the E-rate process, Form 470, for the upcoming 2022 Funding Year.
The Filing Window for submitting the second form in the process, Form 471, opened on January 12, and will close on Tuesday, March 22. This makes February 22 the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether.
So, get your E-rate process started and submit your Form 470 as soon as possible!
Not sure if you’ve done your 470 yet? No problem! You can look up your E-rate forms to check their status in your E-rate EPC account, to be sure that you have submitted and certified them:
When you are logged into your EPC account, and you are on your Landing Page, scroll all the way to the bottom – under ‘FCC Forms and Post-Commitment Requests’ you can look up your FCC Forms. The Form Type will default to the 470. Choose the Funding Year – 2022. When the results come up, your forms will be listed below the search boxes. If the Status is ‘Certified’ or ‘Committed’, then the Form and the Certification has been received by USAC. If it says ‘Incomplete’ or there are no results, then you still need to submit your 470.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
The Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2022 opens today at noon EST and will close on Tuesday, March 22 at 11:59 pm EDT. You may now log on to the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) and file your FCC Form 471 for FY2022.
This makes Tuesday, February 22, the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether. So, get your E-rate Form 470 submitted as soon as possible!
IMPORTANT: Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. You can find your Notification within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact the State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries in Nebraska, Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
The FCC Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2022 will open on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at noon EST and close on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 11:59pm EDT. You can read the USAC announcement for full details.
To prepare for the window opening:
If you haven’t already done so, file your FCC Form 470 now! You don’t need to wait for the window to open.
To file your FCC Form 470, log into the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC). You must wait 28 days after your FCC Form 470 is posted to the USAC website before you can close your competitive bidding process, select a service provider, sign a contract (if applicable), and submit an FCC Form 471. If you issue an RFP after the FCC Form 470 is posted, you must wait 28 days from the release of the RFP to select a service provider.
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 is the deadline to post your FCC Form 470 to the USAC website or issue an RFP and still complete all of these actions before the window closes.
Update Your EPC Profile During the Administrative Window – Update your EPC profile by January 10, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Review your EPC profile and confirm all of your information is accurate including your organization’s name, address, and other details. Your profile is now unlocked and available for you to insert any further updates but will be locked again before the filing window opens. Libraries should confirm their square footage, main branch, and public school district of the main branch information is correct and that any bookmobiles or kiosks are included.
You can find additional resources and instructions for using the EPC on the USAC website and on the NLC’s E-rate website.
Please contact Christa Porter if you have any questions or need any assistance submitting your E-rate forms.
