January 2001 Announcements

Please click on the topic below to view the most recent announcements:

Program participants are reminded that it is a violation of FCC rules and SLD Form instructions for a Form 470 to be filed without the express authorization of the named entity. For this reason, SLD has removed certain Year 4 Forms 470 from the web site in instances where the SLD has evidence that such Forms were not authorized. Some Forms 470 were taken down on January 23, 2001; these Form numbers are featured in bold in the Year 4 section of the Deleted Form 470 Application Numbers list. The SLD will also deny Funding Requests that cite those Forms 470. Should it come to the attention of SLD that other Forms 470 were filed without the express authorization of the named entity, those Forms will also be removed.

Schools and libraries are reminded to read the Forms and instructions carefully and call the Client Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100 if they have questions.

View List of Deleted Form 470 Application Numbers

Applicants who may be sending in Form 471 materials today are well advised to obtain documentation of the "postmark" date of January 18, 2001. Specifically, applicants are encouraged to:

• obtain a "Certificate of Mailing" from the United States Postal Service (Form 3817) which will give the applicant a receipt showing today's postmark date, or,

• for those using express delivery services, obtain a copy of the tracking document showing that the package was "picked up" today.

If you are still filing your Form 471, and are filing electronically, you must have a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) for each Funding Request in order to progress through Block 5 of the electronic form. Filers who do not have a SPIN will receive an electronic message as they attempt to complete the form directing them to call the SLD Client Service Bureau (CSB) for assistance.

Please note that SPIN assistance is available for those online filers who have been unable to secure a SPIN from their service providers. (Manual filers are able to provide either the service provider name or the SPIN in order to meeting Minimum Processing Standards.) Call the CSB toll-free at 1-888-203-8100, and representatives will provide a tool for completing the form electronically. You are urged to secure the SPIN from your service provider before you begin your electronic filing, but in cases where this is not possible, the Client Service Bureau can help you work through the electronic form. Remember that CSB hours of service are 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST.

As we near the close of the Form 471 application window, we are re-posting the filing requirements for your convenience.

1. Application Materials: All materials associated with Form 471 must be postmarked no later than January 18, 2001 in order for the request to receive consideration as inside the window. This requirement is to help us give applicants earlier funding decisions. These materials are:

• The Form 471 itself (whether electronic or paper)
• The Block 6 certification of the Form 471 with an original signature by the authorized person
• Item 21 attachment
• The Block 5 certification of any Form 470 cited in a Year 4 Form 471 with an original signature by the authorized person.

2. Item 21 Attachment Labeling: Label your attachment as "Item 21 Attachment," and include the application number of the Form 471 it supports. Be sure to label the attachment to correspond with each Block 5, Item 21 of your application.

3. Form 470 Certification: A completed Form 470 Certification is a Block 5 certification signed with an original signature by the authorized person. Forms 470 with completed certifications submitted in a previous year meet this requirement, as do those filed for Year 4 and submitted to the SLD with a postmark date no later than January 18, 2001. Any Year 4 Form 471 Block 5 funding request based on a Form 470 whose certification has not been received by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 18, 2001 or postmarked by January 18, 2001 will be rejected.

4. January 18, 2001 Deadline: Failure to make the January 18, 2001 deadline for Form 471 application materials will place the entire application outside the window, and the applicant's funding will be jeopardized.

For those choosing to deliver their application(s) to the NCS facility in Lawrence, Kansas, we must receive your application by 11:59 PM EST on January 18, 2001.

Following are driving directions to the NCS facility.

• As you depart KCI airport, follow all signs that indicate I-29 North or Topeka.
• Once on I-29 North, seek out the signs for I-435 West. Make sure you stay in the right lane. Once you are on I-435 West, it will change to I-435 South: you will stay on this road for approximately 25 miles.
• Stay on I-435 West, until you see signs for K-10 (Lawrence)
• Take K-10 (Lawrence) for about 20 - 25 miles.
• Once you approach Lawrence, the speed limit will reduce to 65 mph. You will need to stay in the right lane.
• You will see a blue sign indicating East Hills Business Park, make a right into the Business Park. At the stop sign you will make a right again. You are looking for a building named NCS (National Computer Systems).
• NCS is around the curve at the bottom of the hill on the right.

In order to assist applicants as we near the end of the Form 471 filing window, the Client Service Bureau will be open on Saturday, January 13 and Sunday, January 14 from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST. The Client Service Bureau will also be open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST on Monday, January 15. You can reach the Client Service Bureau Help Line by calling 1-888-203-8100.

The temporary phone outage which we experienced this morning at the Client Service Bureau has been repaired and agents are available to take your calls. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience

We are currently experiencing a phone outage at the Client Service Bureau. Technicians are working on the problem, but we do not yet know when service will be restored. In the interim, you can address any questions to: question@universalservice.org.

We will post another announcement as soon as phone service is restored. We apologize for this inconvenience.

A confusing entry listing Video CODEC as eligible has been removed from Page 31 of the Eligible Services List.

A coder/decoder (CODEC) is a device comprising an encoder and a decoder in the same equipment. The CODEC produces a coded output and compresses and decompresses audio and video signals.

To be eligible for discounts, the CODEC must be part of an eligible component. This is reflected in the retained entry for "CODEC" on Page 15 of the Eligible Services List.