E-Rate (also known as the Schools andLibrary Program of the Universal ServiceFund) is a life-saver and budget extenderfor many schools trying to keep up withtelecom and internet technology.Eligible participants include public andmost non-profit K-12 schools as well as allpublic and many private libraries. Programparticipants must carry out a competitivebidding process to select the most singleline vs. across two lines companies toprovide the goods and/or servicesrequested. Program participants mayrequest funding in five categories ofservice; Telecommunications, Telecommunications Services, InternetAccess, Internal Connections, and BasicMaintenance of Internal Connections.Discounts for support depend on thelevel of poverty and the urban/ruralstatus of the population served.