On December 22, 2023, USAC provided guidance to applicants seeking bids for school bus Wi-Fi services and equipment. Schools preparing Forms 470 for bus Wi-Fi should:
- Use the “Data Plans and Air Cards” Form 470 line item. When adding a Form 470 line item for bus Wi-Fi, applicants should use the following options in EPC:
- I seek bids for internet access and/or data transmission service.
- I seek bids for Internet access and data transmission service (provided over any combination of transmission medium, e.g., fiber-only networks, fiber/non-fiber hybrid networks, or non-fiber networks such as cable, DSL, copper, satellite, or microwave).
- I seek bids for data plans or wireless adapters (Air Cards) for mobile devices for commercial wireless service for a school or library that does not have an existing broadband internal connections.
- Use USAC’s suggested Form 470 narrative. USAC suggest the following language for the Form 470 narrative description for Category One services:
- Applicant seeks bids for wireless school bus service and (if applicable) associated equipment to make the service functional to provide Wi-Fi. Reference the associated “RFP” document for additional information.”
Applicants may provide additional detail in the narrative as necessary.
- Upload an “RFP.” USAC states that “due to system settings,” the EPC system will require the upload of an RFP document when creating a bus Wi-Fi 470 as described above. Applicants are encouraged to include “the number of buses being outfitted” in the description, and are “strongly encouraged to provide geographic location/route information of the buses along with the service requirements for the bus route(s).”
USAC indicated that detailed instructions for preparing Form 471 applications for bus Wi-Fi will be provided at a later date, but provided the following suggestions:
- Submit a separate FCC Form 471 for Wireless School Bus Services.
- Submit a separate funding request for each contract or vendor for these services.
- Use “School Bus Wi-Fi” or similar name as the FCC Form 471 nickname.
- List all schools as recipients of service that will be served by the buses.
- Clearly explain the number of buses on the request in the FRN Narrative.
USAC’s bus Wi-Fi instructions may be viewed here.
