Source: EdTech Mag | Read Full Article Here
Procrastinators beware: Don’t put off E-Rate planning for 2018. Start now. It’s never too early to begin preparing to use the program effectively.
While 2018 may seem pretty far away, it’s much closer than you think in E-Rate terms. That’s because a significant amount of planning and paperwork need to happen before much-needed networking solutions get to your schools. More than 8,000 customers requested funding using Category Two last year.
With the increasing complexity of e-rate filing, it is becoming more important to start the 470 process earlier than in years past. With this comes an additional importance to have conversations with service providers early, engaging with them in order to understand available solutions and how those solutions can integrate with the schools’ existing infrastructure.
There have been countless occasions where we have seen schools publish RFPs that either: did not properly address all the school’s communication needs, or asked for services that did not integrate well with the existing infrastructure of the school.
A simple conversation with a service provider before filing a 470 can mitigate many of these costly mistakes. If you have questions or concerns feel free to reach out to your Xtel Rep or give us a call at 1-800-GET-XTEL.
