• Form 471 Status Available Online
• Online 470/471 Certification Confusion
• FCC Filing Addresses and Fax Number
• Upcoming E-rate Deadlines

The following is a summary of the E-rate News for the Week of December 17, 2001, prepared by E-Rate Central. Official SLD news appears in the “What’s New!” section of the SLD’s Web site . Additional and archived information appears elsewhere on the E-Rate Central Web site.

Form 471 Status Available Online

The SLD has implemented a useful new search function on their Web site that permits applicants to confirm the status of their Form 471 applications. Status information is available for all funding years including the upcoming PY5.

To access the system, use the new “Application Status” button in the “Apply Online” section , enter the Form 471 Entity Number, and select the desired program year. In our experience, the system works better with Microsoft Explorer than with Netscape, and even then often requires a refreshing of the screen before accessing the search mechanism.

Online 470/471 Certification Confusion

A number of applicants filing Form 470s or Form 471s online have reported confusion near the end of the filing process when the SLD’s system asks them to select either “Electronic Certification” or “Paper Certification.” Many assume that since they are filing online, they should select “Electronic Certification” on the premise that “Paper Certification” refers to manual paper-based filings. This distinction is incorrect.

“Certification” in the online filing process refers to the final certification or signing of the form. In the past, this necessarily meant printing out the certification pages, signing them, and mailing the certification to the SLD. This physical signing of the certification for an online submission is now referred to as “Paper Certification.”

“Electronic Certification,” on the other hand, refers to the new option of certifying the form using an electronic signature and PIN. To use this option, the certifier must first have applied for and received a User ID and PIN, a process that can be initiated online. Additional information on the new electronic signature process is available on the SLD Web site .

FCC Filing Addresses and Fax Number

Reflecting heightened security in the processing of incoming mail, the FCC has discontinued mail and messenger deliveries directly to its headquarters locations. The FCC also has established a new fax number for general (non-official) correspondence. Here are some guidelines for E-rate applicants sending appeals or other material to the FCC:

1. We strongly recommend that all FCC appeals be sent using an express mail service. Because appeals must be received (not just postmarked) within 30 days of a SLD decision, it is important to be able to track and confirm delivery. If using USPS Express Mail, see the instructions in (b) below. For all other express mail services (FedEx, UPS, etc.), use the following address:

   9300 East Hampton Drive
   Capital Heights, MD 20743

2. USPS first-class mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail should be addressed to the normal FCC address shown below (although all such mail will be pre-screened at a separate FCC facility prior to actual delivery).

   445 12^th Street, S.W.
   Washington, DC 20554

3. General correspondence can now be faxed to the FCC at 202-418-0188. The FCC asks that such faxes incorporate an addressee block that includes the Commission’s full name and address (as of (b) above), the name and room number of the FCC Bureau or Office, and the name of the applicable FCC staff person.

Upcoming E-rate Deadlines

A combination of the recently announced PY3 Form 486 and BEAR deadlines, the PY4 Form 486 deadlines, and the PY5 application window, has established a number of critical dates for E-rate applicants. The following is a list of key deadlines that must be met over the next few months: