E-Rate 2.0 Changes and How They Affect Your Voice Services

On July 1, 2015, the new E-rate 2.0 changes will go into effect and will affect your funding for voice services. Funds are being shifted to broadband as a part of the new objective to provide high-capacity wireless connectivity to schools and libraries. This is a phased approach with a reduction in voice services funding by 20% each year until eliminated.

Many school districts took advantage of hosted voice solutions to maximize E-rate funding although the solution was actually higher in cost before the E-rate discount. With the phased elimination of voice funding, these school districts must plan now to continue providing quality services at reasonable costs. On-premise solutions provide more reliability, added features and a lower cost of ownership than alternative hosted solutions. If a monthly consumption model is preferred, financing solutions can keep you with a monthly payment.

Our 18 years of E-rate experience and relationship with large and small school districts throughout California gives us the insight to be able to help you with this transition. View the documents below for a simplified view of the changes as well as easy access to key FCC documents.

Prefer to speak to an E-rate specialist about your needs? Do you have additional E-rate reform questions? Click here to schedule a time to meet with a specialist from AMS.NET.

Download the E-rate 2.0 Final Rule Published in Federal Register (8-19-14)

Download the E-rate 2.0 Draft FY2015 Eligible Services List (8-4-14)

Download the E-rate Modernization Order (7-23-14)

Click here to view Funds for Learning E-Rate 2.0 Webinars. Next live webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16, 2014, E-Rate 2.1 Refining the New E-Rate Rules. Requires a free membership to Funds for Learning edWeb.net.

Click here to download the E-Rate 2.0 Changes Overview

Click here to download the
E-Rate 2.0 Changes Overview