Hurricane Katrina Questions for Schools and Libraries

Q. What did the FCC’s 2006 Hurricane Katrina Deadline Extension Order, released March 1, 2006, mean for schools and libraries?
A. Applicants “directly affected” by Hurricane Katrina are eligible to participate in an extended Funding Year 2006 application filing window to request additional funds to restore networks to pre-Hurricane Katrina functionality. Schools and libraries “directly affected” by Hurricane Katrina are eligible for a 90% discount on funding requests for Funding Year 2006. Schools and libraries “directly affected” by Hurricane Katrina are defined as both located in counties and parishes eligible for FEMA individual disaster assistance and having incurred substantial damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. These schools and libraries can also request a waiver of the “Two-in-Five” Rule for Internal Connections.

Q. How do I know if I am eligible for relief?
A. Schools and libraries in counties and parishes designated by FEMA for individual disaster assistance and that sustained substantial damage are eligible to apply for funds to restore their networks to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels. These schools and libraries are called “directly affected” and, as listed in the FCC’s Hurricane Katrina USF Order (FCC 05-178, released October 14, 2005) include the following counties and parishes.
Alabama – Baldwin, Mobile, Pickens, Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa, and Washington.
Louisiana – Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.
Mississippi – Adams, Amite, Attala, Bolivar, Claiborne, Choctaw, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Tippah, Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Wilkinson, Winston, and Yazoo.

Q. What specific relief can I get?
A. If you are a school or library in the counties and parishes designated by FEMA as eligible for individual disaster assistance and listed in the Hurricane Katrina USF Order, and you sustained substantial damage by Hurricane Katrina, then you can apply as a “directly affected” entity for E-rate eligible products and services to help restore your network to the pre-Hurricane Katrina level of functionality. These funds must be used in Funding Year 2006. Schools and libraries directly affected by Hurricane Katrina will be eligible for a 90% discount on funding requests for Funding Year 2006. For the purposes of the “Two-in-Five” Rule for Internal Connections, applicants can ask to have the rule waived for directly affected schools and libraries for 2006.

Q. How does a directly affected entity determine “substantial damage?”
A. If an entity sustains damage to equipment and services eligible for Schools and Libraries Program discounts within the FEMA-designated counties, that entity is directly affected. For example:
(1) Damage to a school building included damage to the Telecommunications Services that were discounted under the Schools and Libraries Program. Telecommunications Services can no longer be provided to the school at that location. If the school opens at a new location where Telecommunications Services can be provided, those services can be brought to pre-Hurricane Katrina functionality at a 90% discount rate.

(2) A school’s main router and some cabling were damaged beyond repair. Some other damage was sustained, and the network no longer functions. The cabling was purchased with program funds; the router was eligible for program discounts but was purchased entirely from the school’s general fund. The school can apply to restore its network, including the router and the cabling, to pre-Hurricane Katrina functionality at a 90% discount rate.

Q. How do I apply for the additional money?
A. You must apply for additional funds during the extended Hurricane Katrina Funding Year 2006 application filing window. The window is currently OPEN, and applicants should follow the How to Apply instructions at www.usac.org/katrina/ in the Schools and Libraries section.  All directly affected applicants must submit their Forms 470 and 471 manually by the deadline of October 2, 2006.

Q. What is my first step?
A. Review your technology plan to ensure that it supports and validates the services that you will be requesting on your Forms 470 (Description of Services Requested and Certification) and Forms 471 (Service Ordered and Certification). Remember that you must have a written technology plan before you file any of the application forms.

Q. For this special window, do I have to post a new Form 470?
A. If you are seeking discounts on services that are being purchased off a contract that was entered into as a result of the previous posting of a Form 470 — and that contract is still in effect and covers the goods and service that you are seeking — then you do not have to file a new Form 470. All others must post a new Form 470.

Q. Can the Form 470 and Form 471 be transmitted via fax?
A. No, only forms submitted on paper will be accepted.

Q. When applicants submit their new Form 470 on paper, how will service providers be able to search and find bid opportunities?
A. Once the forms are submitted, USAC will data enter and post the applicable Forms 470 under the 2006 Summary Files on the Schools and Libraries section of the USAC website per the usual Form 470 process.

Q. Can entities indirectly affected by Hurricane Katrina or directly affected by Hurricane Rita get relief under this order?
A. No. The relief in this order is specific to the directly affected entities defined in the Hurricane Katrina USF Order (FCC 05-178, released October 14, 2005).

Q. I am a directly affected applicant. I submitted an application during the regular FY2006 window, but I do not intend to submit an application during the special window. Can I still request a waiver of the “Two-in-Five” Rule for FY2006?
A. Yes. You should follow the instructions for How to Request a Waiver of the “Two-in-Five” Rule for FY2006.

Q. Is September 4, 2006 the last day I can mail my Form 470 to USAC and still be within the window?
A. No. Your Form 470 must be POSTED to the USAC website no later than September 4 in order to be able to wait 28 days and then file your Form 471 before the close of the special window on October 2. You must allow enough time for USAC to receive and data enter your paper Form 470 in order to post it to the USAC website by September 4.

Q. Is there a deadline for requesting a waiver of the “Two-in-Five” Rule for FY2006?
A. Yes. Waiver requests must be faxed or postmarked by October 2, 2006.

Q. Will the Forms 470 and 471 have to be paper submissions or can they be filed online?
A. All Forms 470 and 471 filed during the extended 2006 window must be filed on paper.

Q. How do I cancel my FY2006 FRNs filed during the regular window?
A. Applicants who wish to cancel FRNs filed during the regular window should do so via the Receipt Acknowledgement Letter (RAL) process. Remember, though, that applications filed during the extended window are limited to restoring the networks to pre-Hurricane Katrina functionality, while the FRNs submitted during the regular FY2006 window are not subject to that limitation.

Q. What is the service delivery deadline for services requested during the extended window?
A. The service delivery deadlines are the same for all applications filed during either the regular or the extended FY2006 window. Recurring services must be delivered by June 30, 2007 and non-recurring services must be delivered by September 30, 2007.  The only exception is for FCDLs issued after March 1, 2007, in which case the deadline for non-recurring services will be September 30, 2008.

Q. Should applicants continue to use the “–K” designation in the form identifier field?
A. Yes. Applicants should use this designation on all of their Hurricane Katrina related forms.