The Universal Service Act of 1996 (E-Rate program) has made it possible for school districts to receive significant discounts on their telecommunications expenses. The Act provides funds that can be used for discounts on data network cabling, network hubs, switches and routers, Internet access costs, local and long distance telephone charges, and even customer-owned telephone systems (PBXs). Recent additions to the eligibility list include servers (hardware and software) required to provide the network infrastructure, electronic mail systems and some software licenses. These discounts range from 20%-90%. The work required to determine eligibility, design the systems, and file the required forms, can be streamlined with our experience. Access to these funds should be part of a long-term telecommunications strategy for your school and CTI Communication Technologies can help to make that happen.

Some of the greatest barriers to hurdle lie primarily with small and rural schools that are historically behind in technology opportunities and available services. The six principles that form the foundation of the E-rate plan and the Universal Service Fund (USF) are:

Telecommunications and information services made available under an E-rate plan must meet recognized educational objectives, including the need for adequate bandwidth and transmission speed in order to support educator-designed curricula.

In designing a plan to implement the E-rate, there must be a dynamic and open process utilizing advice and counsel from all groups that have a stake in the future of our educational system.

All schools and libraries must have flexibility in procuring needed telecommunications and information services, while demonstrating an educationally sustainable plan.

The most efficient use of the Universal Service Fund (USF) support system should be promoted through the use of market-based techniques wherever possible.

The support must be technology-neutral and not favor a particular technology.

All competitors seeking to serve schools and libraries must have equitable and nondiscriminatory access to the USF.
 

Guiding Principals

This became the Universal Service Fund (USF). Rather than a tax, the USF is funded by a surcharge that is collected by communications carriers to encourage market forces to provide competitive services to under-served populations.

The E-rate presents an unprecedented opportunity to integrate technology into every K-12 learning environment in the nation. The initial challenge of realizing the discounts and navigating the bureaucracy will give way to the real work of improving educational opportunities.

We must prepare our teachers, our administrators, our staff and our communities if we are to gain real benefits from the rising sea of technology in which we find ourselves. Our mindset and our planning mechanisms are oriented to insufficient learning resources. Scarce resources are a genuine barrier to improved learning environments. Yet, the tide is turning. The primary challenge will be effective use of sufficient resources. This challenge represents a new beginning for educators and better opportunities for our students.