CIPA and E-rate

1. CIPA and E-rate • How to get free money for your Wifi Network and Internet Access

2. Contacts Maria Bernier E-rate Coordinator CT State Library maria.bernier@ct.gov 860.704.2204 Scott Taylor Director Connecticut Education Network scott.taylor@uconn.edu 860.622.4563

3. What is E-rate? The Universal Service Schools and Libraries Program (E-rate Program) helps ensure that schools and libraries can obtain affordable rates for telecommunications, Internet access, internal connections, and basic maintenance of internal connections. The program, which is administered by the non-profit Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), provides discounts on services and hardware. In your telephone and cable bills, you pay a Universal Services charge which is allocated toward this program.

4. What will E-rate pay for? The list of Eligible Services changes each funding year. This year (July 2016-June 2017) the following items are eligible for discounts: Category One: provide connectivity to the building Data Transmission Services and Internet Access, such as broadband over power lines, cable modems, DSL, T-1 or T-3 lines, ethernet, fiber optic lines, and satellite service. Voice Services, including many kinds of telephone service options. Category Two: provide connectivity within the building Internal Connections, such as wireless access points, routers, internal cabling, switches, Uninterruptible Power Supply/battery backup packs, and wireless controller systems. Managed Internal Broadband Services, such as hiring a company to install, monitor, and fix the broadband network or Wi-Fi. Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections, including repair and upkeep, maintenance of cable and fiber, configuration changes, tech support, and software upgrades.

5. Discounts Your library’s discount rate is based on: percentage of students in your school district who are eligible for free or reduced lunches under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); and whether the library is classified as urban or rural. Discount = Reimbursement Discounts range from 20% to 90% Examples in CT: Ferguson Library, Stamford 80% Mansfield Library 60% Levi E. Coe Library, Middlefield 50%

6. The Hitch: CIPA Compliance In order to get discounts on Internet Service, Wifi, and most other eligible services, your library must be CIPA compliant. (Exception: dark fiber special construction) Library authorities must certify one of the following: They have complied with the requirements of CIPA. They are undertaking actions to comply with the requirements of CIPA. (This option is available only if this is your library’s first year since 2001 to apply for E-rate funding for internet access and services other than telephones.) CIPA does not apply to them because they are receiving discounts for telecommunications services only.**

7. CIPA Requirements According to E-rate (http://usac.org/sl/applicants/step05/cipa.aspx): Internet Safety Policy Libraries receiving discounts are required to adopt and enforce an Internet safety policy that includes a technology protection measure that protects against access by adults and minors to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or — with respect to use of computers with Internet access by minors — harmful to minors. 2. Technology Protection Measure (i.e. filter) The library must enforce the use of filters on computers with Internet access, but an administrator, supervisor, or other person authorized by the library may disable the filter during use by an adult to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purpose. 3. Public Notice and Hearing or Meeting The library board or town governing body must provide reasonable public notice and hold at least one public hearing or meeting to address filtering and the library’s Internet safety policy.

8. How CEN can help No cost filtering – part of CEN ISP Service (optional). iboss Cybersecurity provides cloud solution hosted within multiple CEN’s data centers.  Members can log into a portal dedicated to their organization to manage filtering policies.  Members have the option to purchase their own iBoss filter appliance, minus the cost of licensing which is covered by CEN currently through August 2018.  Leveraging an internal appliance allows for integration with the members domain server and more granular visibility and control over individual users.

9. But how does filtering really work? Can you turn off filtering on a specific computer? Yes- if you are using CEN provided filtering you would do this by having a separate external IP one filtered and one not filtered, then internally they would have to route it properly. Many organizations are not setup to easily handle this. Yes, with your own filtering appliance this is simpler to control by account/ computer. However, there are certain things that cannot be unblocked at all if you go through the filter, i.e. porn and malware.

10. What you can do today? You can ask E-rate to help pay for your library’s internet service for the period July 2016-June 2017, if you’re willing to do the following: Contact Maria to indicate your interest in involvement. Become CIPA compliant ASAP if your library is not already. Log into online portal for E-rate (EPC), become your library’s account admin, and update your library’s profile. Request contract for internet service (available after July 11). Maria to provide more details as date approaches. Upload your contract in the EPC portal. By July 21, file a Form 471 for Internet service in the EPC portal. Help is available! http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/erate/isp

11. What you can do in future years E-rate can help you pay for your Internet service every year. It can also help you pay for expanding your library’s wifi network or adding internet and wifi connectivity during a building renovation/expansion/construction. To learn more, contact Maria Bernier: maria.bernier@ct.gov

12. More information E-rate information from the State Library: http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/erate http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/erate/isp CEN: www.ct.gov/cen Specifically Services/ Filtering E-rate Program (Schools and Libraries, USAC): www.usac.org/sl/

13. Questions?