E-Rate Supports Gigabit Internet for Schools & Libraries

By: John Shepler

It’s clear that broadband Internet is a key infrastructure for business, education and personal use. Schools and libraries may have the greatest need of all to access information online. We’re living in a Google, Wikipedia, e-book world and information is going more electronic by the day.

Schools & Libraries are Lagging
What might surprise you is that many elementary schools and libraries area woefully behind the times when it comes to electronic access. They need modern broadband service. Not the Megabit per second standard that was thought fast when we were moving from dial-up modems to always-on high speed Internet. Today’s standards need to be based on what fiber optic connections can provide. Is Gigabit Ethernet too fast… or just about right?

The FCC is now in the just about right camp. The latest round of improvements to the government’s E-Rate program are targeting Internet speeds of at least 100 Mbps per 1,000 students and staff now, moving up to 1,000 Mbps in the longer term. Libraries that serve fewer than 50,000 people should get at least 100 Mbps. Larger libraries, those serving more than 50,000 people need 1 Gbps or higher Internet access speeds. Looking ahead, the FCC wants WAN/Last Mile connectivity to be scalable to 10 Gbps per 1,000 students. You know it won’t be long before that is what we’ll think of as typical.

More Funding for Higher Bandwidths
The amount of funding for E-Rate discounts has been running a $2.4 billion a year. That has been recently increased by $1.5 billon to $3.9 billion per year. A good part of this funding will support high speed Internet access. The rest will be used for infrastructure within the facilities, particularly Wi-Fi access. Wireless vs wired Ethernet connections are particularly important for students and library patrons. Funding will be ended for legacy services such as paging and traditional landline telephones.

How to Qualify for E-Rate Discounts
Any school, school district or library that wants to participate in the E-Rate program needs to submit an application through the program administrator, USAC or the Universal Service Administrative Company. Any carriers, or service providers, that want to offer E-Rate qualified services also need to submit an application. They are then assigned a SPIN or Service Provider Identification Number. Many of the larger carriers have already taken this step and have the ability to install fiber optic broadband Internet or WAN connections at speeds ranging from 10 Mbps on up to 10 Gbps or more.

How Much Are the Savings?
E-Rate is a discounted service price. In other words, if you qualify for E-Rate you’ll pay less for broadband access than commercial entities for the same line speeds. The actual discount that each school or library receives is based on the poverty level of the population they serve and whether the population is considered urban or rural. The actual calculations are based on the percentage of students eligible for the national school lunch program. Discounts then range from as low as 20% to as high as 90%.

The Easy Want to Find E-Rate Broadband
You can do the research yourself by contacting local service providers or searching online for national carriers. However, it’s much easier to use a company that works with many different carriers and knows who has E-Rate capability in your area. There is no cost for this service. It’s available to any interested school or library. It’s also fast and easy to make a no-obligation inquiry. Check for carriers offering E-Rate bandwidth services now.

E-Rate Discounted Broadband Internet for Schools and Libraries

By: John Shepler

Schools and libraries are clamoring for high speed Internet access. In our connected world, broadband has become a utility that enables business, personal development and learning of all types. While many, if not most, public resources have Internet access of some kind, pressure is mounting to increase the access speed to enable more users and more sophisticated applications. What stands in the way of doing this? Cost.

Discounted Service is Available
Fortunately, there is a government program that makes it possible for most K-12 schools and libraries to upgrade their broadband Internet at discounted rates that vary from 20% to 90% of the service cost. Instead of poking along at a few Mbps, it’s now quite reasonable to make the leap to fiber optic service offering 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet or 1,000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet.

Better Pricing Plus Affordability Equals Higher Bandwidth
Part of the affordability for higher bandwidth comes from the rapid expansion of competitive fiber optic services for business users. Competitive carriers have driven down the price per Mbps of broadband so that even GigE bandwidth is within reason for most companies and other organizations. Schools and libraries have the extra benefit of support through the government E-Rate program that makes possible discounted telecommunications, Internet access and internal connectivity.

How E-Rate Works
E-Rate gets it funding from the Universal Service fee charged to telecommunication companies. Originally, the idea was to create a pool of resources to ensure that everyone had telephone service, even if they couldn’t afford it. The ability to make and receive telephone calls was considered a strategic necessity for the country. Times change and the traditional landline is fading into obscurity. What’s replacing it as a necessity is broadband and mobility. With that in mind, the Federal Communication Commission has broadened the Universal Service Fund to include Internet as well as telephony.

Who Qualifies for E-Rate Discounts
E-Rate is targeted at two specific entities: schools and libraries. Each school, school district and library that wants the discounts submits an application through the administrator of the program, USAC or the Universal Service Administrative Company. Each carrier or service provider who wants to offer E-Rate qualified services must also apply and be assigned a SPIN or Service Provider Identification Number. As you might expect, there are various official forms that need to be completed. More information can be found on the USAC website.

How the Discounts are Calculated
The size of the discount for each school or library is based on the level of poverty and the urban/rural status of the population served. That sounds like it might be a pretty difficult thing to figure out. The determination is made much easier by basing it on the percentage of students eligible for the national school lunch program. Better off areas might only qualify for 20% service discounts. Those with severe poverty might qualify for discounts as high as 90%.

The Size of E-Rate Funding
How much money are we talking about? The E-Rate program funding cap for FY2014 is over $2.4 billion. If your school or library isn’t getting your share of the discounts applied to Internet service, it’s likely well worth your while to get on board. Others who are already benefiting from E-Rate service discounts and feeling the need to upgrade service levels should know that many major service providers now offer E-Rate qualified services. One or more is likely to be able to provide the kind of bandwidth you need, ranging from 10 Mbps on up to 10 Gbps.

Bandwidth Upgrades are Needed Now
A recent report indicated that many libraries nationwide are feeling the need to move as quickly as possible to 100 Mbps broadband. School districts with heavy classroom and administrative use may need to have Gigabit bandwidth installed. With fiber based Ethernet service, bandwidth levels are very scalable and can usually be increased without equipment changes.

Finding E-Rate Services
Are you looking for new or upgraded Internet access for your eligible school district or library system? Find carriers offering E-Rate bandwidth services quickly and easily now.


Note: Photo of Duluth Central High School courtesy of Wikimedia Commons