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E-rate Eligible Services

Eligible Services - Eligible services are products and services approved to receive E-Rate support. Eligible services are divided into 4 categories: 1) Telecommunication Services (TS); 2) Internet Access (IA); 3) Internal Connections Other than Basic Maintenance (IC); and 4) Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections (BMIC).

Eligible Services List (ESL) – The Eligible Services List (ESL) is a list of the products and services approved by the FCC for funding under the Schools and Libraries Program. (Excerpts from USAC/SLD Web Site: Acronyms and Terms List)

USAC/SLD PowerPoints and Documents:

Additional West Virginia Document:

Additional Related References:

Additional Updates:

Funding Year 2008 Eligible Services List Released (10/19/2007):

"Some of the changes that have been made to the Funding Year 2008 ESL are:

  • Centrex: In the 2008 ESL, Centrex service is treated as basic telephone service for purposes of the schools and libraries program with the intention of eliminating the requirement that applicants file a technology plan for Centrex service.

  • Internet Access for Distance Learning: We clarify that basic conduit access to the Internet for the purpose of accessing distance learning and video conferencing is eligible for funding in the Internet access category but distance learning and video conferencing tools are not eligible for funding.

  • Broadband over Power Lines (BPL): We add BPL under the entry for Digital Transmission Services to allow applicants to seek funding for the transmission component of BPL as a telecommunications service.

  • BPL-enabled Internet access service: We add BPL-enabled Internet access service under the entry for Internet access to allow applicants to seek funding for BPL-enabled Internet access service under the Internet access category if the service is bundled with Internet access.

  • Ancillary Calendaring Functions: We clarify that program participants are not required to provide cost allocation for calendaring functions ancillary to E-mail service.

  • Web Hosting: We clarify the eligible components of a web hosting service.

  • Failover Products or Services: “Failover” products or services have been added to the list of miscellaneous ineligible components."

(From the FCC Public Notice: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-182A1.doc)

FY2008 Elgibile Services List: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-182A2.doc

New for Funding Year 2005 and beyond - from the FCC Third Report and Order (FCC 03-323):

We also adopt a rule creating a more formal process for updating annually the list of services eligible for support. (paragraph 1)

USAC will be required to submit by June 30 of each year a draft of its updated eligible services list for the following funding year.

The Commission will issue a Public Notice seeking comment on USAC's proposed eligible services list. (paragraph 40)

At least 60 days prior to the opening of the window for the following funding year, the Commission will then issue a public notice attaching the final eligible services list for the upcoming funding year.

The Commission anticipates that this public notice will be released on or before September 15 of each year. (paragraph 40)

Clarification for Eligibility of Priority 1 Services (February 2005):

The SLD has recently seen marketing efforts regarding video and other services in the Telecommunications and Internet Access categories that misconstrue FCC eligibility requirements.

In the Telecommunications category of service, the FCC’s Eligible Services List indicates, in the listing for “Distance Learning Circuits,” that “[t]ransmission services that provide [video or other] distance learning are eligible for discount.” Some may have mistakenly concluded that this statement indicates that any Distance Learning service is eligible, when in fact the statement is limited to eligibility for the transmission services that enable distance learning.

Since a full distance learning system may include components beyond the FCC’s definition of a telecommunications service, applicants must use care that the costs of ineligible features have been removed when submitting funding requests.

In the Internet Access category of service, the FCC’s Eligible Services List indicates that the Internet Access category of service is “limited to the provision of ‘basic conduit access’ to the Internet.” Some may have mistakenly concluded that Internet Access can include functions that go beyond “basic conduit access” to the Internet, such as a direct exchange of data or video between applicant sites. Such conclusions are incorrect. In the Internet Access category of service, the SLD will only fund services that are within FCC requirements for “basic conduit access” to the Internet. Funding in this category will not be provided for transport of point-to-point connectivity of data, video, or voice applications that are to be provided only by eligible telecommunications carriers.

Applicants are cautioned that funding requests for products and services that are ineligible should not be submitted. Any funding requests that include a combination of eligible and ineligible components must be cost-allocated to remove ineligible features. (February 2005 News, SLD Web Site)