How to leverage E-Rate funding and how to best leverage bandwidth to create robust and reliable education networks

1. The Ubiquity of Inequity & Myth of the Robust Reliable Connection
Sheryl R. Abshire, Ph.D. Chief Technology Officer Calcasieu Parish Public Schools Lake Charles, LA sheryl.abshire@cpsb.org @sherylabshire
Steve Young Chief Technology Officer Judson ISD San Antonio, TX syoung@judsonisd.org @atemyshorts

2. What Is E-Rate?

E-Rate is a program administered by the FCC which helps schools afford their telecommunications connectivity, including internet
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E-Rate funds are generally used for four purposes:

telecommunications/phone service

internet connections

internal connections and
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internal connection maintenance
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E-Rate is narrowly focused on connectivity. It is a critical part to any district’s technology plan.
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As one piece of an overall tech plan, E-Rate CANNOT be used for professional development or to purchase devices.

3. Where Did E-Rate Come From?
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Created as part of the 1996 reauthorization of the Telecommunications Act
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An already existing program was expanded to include funding to support connectivity in schools and libraries
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The funds come from telecommunications companies, who usually pass the fee along to consumers
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You can see the fee (Universal Services Fund) on your monthly phone bill

4. 
Fund is capped at $2.4 billion – as of today!

FCC 7th Report and Order July 11 adds $1 billion more for two years

Changes, approved by FCC order, represent what many describe as most sweeping revisions in the program’s 18-year history
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Total Erate funding since inception FY1998-to-FY2014 is $39.78 billion.
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Total requested: $71.8 billion Total disbursed: $28.4 billion
Funding History

5. How Do Schools Benefit from E-Rate?
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The E-Rate program provides funding, in the form of a discount, that helps schools afford their telecommunications connectivity.
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E-Rate was critical in the massive expansion of Internet access to schools over the last decade.
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As digital learning becomes the ‘norm’ in education, internet access and adequate bandwidth are a ‘must-have’, something E- Rate supports.

6. Why Does E-Rate Matter?
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The E-Rate discount represents the ONLY source of federal funding available for education technology.
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The US Education Department provides ZERO funding for education connectivity or professional development, even as schools brace for online assessments and the meaningful integration of technology in teaching and learning.
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The sole source of federal education technology money is the FCC, not USED.
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E-Rate and connectivity are the difference between students having access to a 21st-century digital learning experience and being left behind.

7. Does E-Rate Work?
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Yes! E-Rate can take most of the credit in supporting the rapid, widespread growth in connectivity among the nation’s schools and libraries.
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The biggest obstacle E-Rate faces is a funding shortage. Demand is regularly more than double what is available, meaning schools have to go without.

8. 
New policies channel more E-rate funding toward high-speed broadband and other technologies to provide schools and libraries with fast and reliable Web connectivity
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Phases out support for various types of phone and “legacy” services that the FCC says are outmoded.
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Application process promises smoother funding, and more transparency for prices schools and libraries pay for services
New Erate

9. Categories Replace Priorities New Focus of Program = Broadband
Category 1 (“C1”)
TO CAMPUS ≈ OLD PRIORITY 1 (“P1”)
Category 2 (“C2”)
ON-CAMPUS ≈ OLD PRIORITY 2 (“P2”)
Fast data and Internet incl. fiber & fixed wireless lease
Internal connections
Access points, switches, data wiring
Voice service / circuits subject to 20% reduction/year
Basic Maintenance
Break-fix + software for eligible goods
Eliminate non-brdbnd Cell data, txt, web/email, voicemail
Managed Internal Brdbnd
3rd party outsource; LAN-as-a-service
Source: Funds for Learning

10. E-rate Funding = Discounts
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Unchanged: discount program
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Calculated based on NSLP eligibility
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District-wide and site-specific funding requests
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New: Single discount rate all sites in district
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Top C2 discount rate lowered from 90% to 85%
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NSLP est. based on CEP or returned surveys

Urban/rural definition refined
Source: Funds for Learning

11. Discount Calculation Matrix
Source: Funds for Learning

12. Category Two Support Capped Over Five Years
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Calculated on building-by-building basis
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Multiply pre-discount factor by discount
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Minimum of $9,200 pre-discount per site
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School @ $150/student
Source: Funds for Learning

13. Sample Five-year Category Two Budget Cap
Disc
Enroll
Factor
Budget Cap
Site
Disc
Rate
Enroll
Factor
5-Year
C2 Max
Small school
85%
50 students
$9,200
floor
$7,820
Large school
85%
500 students
$150
per student
$63,750
Source: Funds for Learning

14. Other Category Two Budget Cap Notes
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No sharing of cap between sites
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No budget for NIFs
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Non-instructional facilities in schools
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Library facilities without public areas
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Not impacted by prior funding (<FY2015)
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Enrollment change can increase cap
Source: Funds for Learning

15. Category Two Requests Ranked by NSLP
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FCC commits $1 billion/year (2015+2016)
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Priority system if insufficient C2 funding
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FRNs prioritized by discount rate, then…
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School district: % NSLP students
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Libraries: % NSLP students (from school district)
Higher NSLP % = Higher odds of C2 funding
Source: Funds for Learning

16. Category Support Capped Over Five Years

Calculated on building-by-building basis

No sharing of cap between sites

Multiply pre-discount factor by discount

Minimum of $9,200 pre-discount per site

School @ $150/student
Source: Funds for Learning

17. Funding Decisions by September First!

Workable applications = faster decision
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Filed timely with all information to enable reviewer to make appropriate decision
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Applicants that decline to respond over summer considered “unworkable”

Applicant/provider/consultant not subject to investigation, audit, or other reason for delay
Source: Funds for Learning

18. Timing of Other Changes
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Immediate changes
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Appeals submitted to USAC first
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10-year document retention required
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No technology plans required FY2015
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Direct applicant BEAR payments FY2016
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E-filing/e-notification all forms FY2017
Source: Funds for Learning

19. The Best News Yet!
F.C.C. Chief Aims to Bolster Internet for Schools
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http://tinyurl.com/ErateRaised
FCC's Wheeler proposes Increasing E-Rate Program Cap to $3.9 Billion
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http://tinyurl.com/ErateIncrease

20. Strategies to Maximize E-rate
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E-rate has never funded individual schools evenly (until now)
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Schools more than likely have gear with widely different ages
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The new funds do not go far enough to fund a robust wired and a robust wireless network
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So how can we best stretch the funds?

21. Moving Network Gear
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If a site with recent network gear can get funded again, go ahead and apply for the funding, then move out the slightly older gear to needier site with older gear.
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Caveats
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E-rate funded gear must stay in place for at least 3 full years

If gear was funded otherwise, you most likely can move right away

22. Augmenting Network Gear
If a site with recent network gear needs additional equipment, most likely a denser access point installation, apply for funds to finish out the dense Wi-Fi deployment.

23. Use E-rate to Make Other Funds Go Farther
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With many districts paying 20 cents on the dollar for infrastructure equipment, utilizing other funding sources can make a large E- rate application much more palatable financially.
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If your school has a technology bond or a new school construction (bond funded or not), use this to cover the district’s portion of the equipment.
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Apply for E-rate for infrastructure for new schools.

24. Can’t Budget Enough?
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It may be possible to apply for all $150 per student in one year
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And then budget the expenses over 2 local budget years to lessen the expenses for such a large capital investment

25. Fiber – We don’t need YOUR stinking fiber!
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Many districts have paid telecoms for very expensive fiber interconnections between sites
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They are costly
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They come with extra network hops and extra points of failure
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But most of us don’t want to be burdened with maintaining a large fiber network
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Consider an RFP for a fiber WAN
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Get pricing for long term options to drive down price
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Do not build to own if you want E-rate funding
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Give preference to designs that limit network hops

26. How else can I conserve bandwidth?
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Traffic shaping
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Can be done by appliances, firewalls, UTMs
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Goal is to slow and/or prioritize certain traffic
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It has limits and hardware that supports it has limits
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Content Filtering – traffic policing
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Goal is to allow/disallow certain traffic
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Usually focuses on only internet traffic

27. How else can I conserve bandwidth?

Proxy Servers – web cache, caching proxy
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Can store web request from one client to send to multiple
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Some UTMs/filters may have built in

May want to use at network hubs to further reduce network traffic
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Free: Apache Traffic Server
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WAN Optimization/Acceleration appliances
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$4.4 billion market in 2014 (Gartner)
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Can use prior techniques and many more
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Compression, deduplication, etc.

28. How to Be Successful
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There are no guarantees with technology……(except change)
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This makes it hard to plan
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But you will need some key things….

29. Plan Big!
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Plan excess capacity
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E-rate, RFPs, and capital construction have long timelines
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You will need more capacity every year
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Number of devices skyrocketing
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So is bandwidth consumption – what we are doing is using more bandwidth
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You will need intermediary equipment with higher speed ratings
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Switches, filters, firewalls, etc.

30. How fast and how much?
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All schools should be connected with 1GB at least to a hub site
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Depending on use, VDI, 1:1, size or site, etc. – 10GB may be needed
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Hub sites should be planned for 10GB between sites
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Does anyone need >1GB to the desktop?

Wireless AC wave 2 – plan on pulling two wires to every access point
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Consider using Cat6a over Cat6 (100 meters vs. 50 meters) – better suited to higher speeds

31. Plan What You Can Do
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What?

Don’t buy buses without drivers!

Consider easy solutions

Don’t just buy without thinking about how it will be supported and by whom
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If your staff cannot support it, don’t do it
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OR – make sure you have outside support to lean on
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Consider the new E-rate option for managed network services

32. What Do YOU Need to Do?

E-Rate is a vital resource in enhancing student learning.

It is the 4th largest source of non-state or local funding to schools.

More than eight of every 10 public schools rely on E-Rate funding.

RAISE THE CAP…RAISE THE CAP!
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E-Rate is a $2.25 billion per year…Inflation Adjusted…. Not Nearly Enough!

Talking about expanding eligible services – Really?

Get involved – Advocate for your district/school
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@FCC, @TomWheelerFCC, @AjitPaiFCC, @mikeoFCC

#RaisetheCap

33. Contact Information
Questions?
Sheryl R. Abshire, Ph.D. Chief Technology Officer Calcasieu Parish Public Schools Lake Charles, LA sheryl.abshire@cpsb.org @sheylabshire
Steve Young Chief Technology Officer Judson ISD San Antonio, TX syoung@judsonisd.org @atemyshorts