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Preparing K–12 for the Digital Age

Preparing America’s students for the skills they need to earn jobs and compete in the international marketplace relies increasingly on interactive, personalized learning experiences driven by new technology.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is helping prepare students for a digital-learning future with the E-rate program and release of the First and Second E-rate Modernization Orders. The First E-rate Modernization Order focuses on the bandwidth needed to bring school districts to the forefront of the digital age with a set of established guidelines (Table 1).

THE OPPORTUNITY IN E-RATE FOR FIBER

Table 1. First E-Rate Modernization Order Guidelines

Broadband Access for Teaching, Learning, and School Operations

2014–2015 School Year Target

2017–2018 School Year Target

An external Internet connection to the Internet service provider

At least 100 Mbps per 1000 students/staff

At least 1 Gbps per 1000 students/staff

Internal wide area network connections from the district to each school and among schools within the district

At least 1 Gbps per 1000 students/staff

At least 10 Gbps per 1000 students/staff

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At-A-GlancePreparing K–12 for the Digital Age

E-Rate Modernization Order Guidelines: Questions to ConsiderWhat Are the Benefits to School Districts of Lighting Dark Fiber or Self-Provisioning Fiber for a High-Capacity Broadband Network?The FCC anticipates that funding for dark fiber will be a cost-effective option for many E-rate applicants by increasing the number of competitive options for broadband construction and deployment, as well as lowering (or eliminating) recurring operational costs. Self-provisioning helps enable schools and libraries that have few options under managed services to obtain needed high-speed connectivity through lower costs in a competitive marketplace or in self-sufficiency.

How Does E-Rate Allow Schools and Libraries to Amortize and Pay-Off the High Upfront Construction Costs Associated with Making High-Capacity Broadband Network Operational?• Special construction costs extend beyond a school’s

property line.

• E-rate pays the full discounted share of upfront special construction charges in the first year.

• Applicants can to pay their discounted share of those upfront costs in installed payments over four years (must be stated as the option on the 470 form).

Are You Considering the Dark Fiber or Self-Construction Option?The Second E-rate Modernization Order adopts safeguards to ensure that applicants properly compare dark fiber with other options:

• Applicants that seek bids through RFP for dark fiber must also seek bids for managed services over a comparable time period and choose the most cost-effective solution (does not mean least expensive) on the same 470 form.

• Along with the cost of leasing fiber or self-construction, equipment (also eligible in Category 1) and maintenance costs associated with lighting dark fiber must be included in the bid and compared over an equal time, which can be determined by the applicant through a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model.

• Applicants can receive funding for infrastructure costs up to six months prior to start of funding year (January 2016) and can get a one-year extension due to unavoidable delays.

Is Your Network Ready to Meet the Guidelines?Only one percent of schools will meet these guidelines at the current pace of adoption. Therefore, the Second E-rate Modernization Order aims at enabling school districts to pursue dark fiber and equipment to meet their growing needs for bandwidth.

What Eligible Services Rules Should You Take Into Account When Planning?Beginning in funding year 2016, the second order amends the E-rate program’s eligible services list to equalize the treatment of lit and dark fiber. It also permits districts to seek E-rate support for self-construction of their own high-speed broadband networks (dark fiber), or portions of such networks when self-provisioning, when it is the most cost-effective solution.

Why Did the FCC Decide To Make Dark Fiber and Self-Provisioned Broadband Networks Eligible?The FCC recognized that the lack of access to broadband infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, and the operational costs of high-speed connections in many other areas are two major obstacles to achieving the E-rate program goals. These actions are designed to help close the rural connectivity gap and increase the affordability of high-speed broadband to all applicants. This will mainly be accomplished through funding fiber builds. This changing paradigm moves districts from a current managed-service structure, which includes operational costs that will grow over years to meet digital education needs, to a more friendly capital expenditure model, where school districts own and operate their networks and budget for growth yearly as needed.

Cisco Is Ready to HelpConsult your Cisco account manager and supporting Cisco E-rate team or your E-rate consultant to get started. The FCC E-rate website also offers detailed information about all these topics. The time is now to start planning for the digital-learning revolution and enabling students to reach a bright future.