¶ Introduction
If you are a school/library (Applicant) or E-rate consultant trying to fill out a USAC Form 470/471 for Wyebot Wireless Intelligence Platform (WIP™) or equivalent services, the following may answer the most common questions. For any questions not addressed in this document, please contact us at erate@wyebot.com.
¶ Form 470
¶ Q1. What is the Category, Service Type and Function under which Wyebot is eligible?
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Category | 2 |
| Service Type | Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS) |
| Function | Leased Equipment |
Wyebot service is eligible under Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS) - please refer to page 10 of FCC Order (Eligible Services List DA 20-1418 released (November 2020) and the December updated FCC order DA 21-1602.
¶ Q2. What are the Wyebot SKUs and Description?
| SKU | Description |
|---|---|
| L-1001-N0 | Wyebot WIP™-enabled Sensor with 1-year Service License |
| L-1003-N0 | Wyebot WIP™-enabled Sensor with 3-year Service License |
| L-1005-N0 | Wyebot WIP™-enabled Sensor with 5-year Service License |
| L-1001-R0 | Wyebot WIP™-enabled Sensor with 1-year Service License Renewal |
| L-1003-R0 | Wyebot WIP™-enabled Sensor with 3-year Service License Renewal |
| L-1005-R0 | Wyebot WIP™-enabled Sensor with 5-year Service License Renewal |
WIP™-enabled Sensors are not sold separately, therefore all SKUs above:
- A New Service License (L-100x-N0) or
- A Renewal Service License (L-100x-R0)
Are available under USAC E-Rate Category 2 → Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS), and not under Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections (BMIC). While the license is active, if a sensor fails (new license or renewal license), Wyebot will replace the sensor at no charge to the customer (USAC Applicant).
¶ Q3. What kind of service does Wyebot Wireless Intelligence Platform (WIP™) provide?
WIP™ works alongside existing WLAN equipment and provides complete wireless ecosystem visibility, AI-based automated problem and solution identification, historical forensics, wired and wireless network testing, and support for WiFi-6. This managed service is a cloud-based WiFi diagnostic and monitoring solution that is vendor agnostic with proactive and reactive troubleshooting capabilities. WIP™ is hosted in the cloud, and utilizes data collected by Wyebot Wireless Intelligent Sensors (WIS42xx / WIS4300). More details on the different models and associated requirements below.
Wyebot WIP™ includes all of the following:
- Wyebot Intelligent Sensor(s) as leased equipment. Sensors not sold separately
- Sensor upgrades
- Replacement warranty, for as long as the sensor has an active license
- Technical Support and maintenance
- Software Upgrades
- Periodic training sessions facilitated by Wyebot WiFi Engineers
- Scheduled 1 hour quarterly support call (optional)
¶ Q4. What are the unique characteristics of Wyebot Wireless Intelligent Sensors?
The sensor devices are 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz capable and have at least 3 WiFi radios that are 802.11ac or higher. The sensors have bluetooth and spectrum analysis capability built in, and are able to do 24/7 data collection with historical analytics. Sensors also have capability to perform a suite of network tests over wired and wireless networks remotely, including packet capture capabilities.
There are 3 different models of Wyebot Intelligent Sensors. The following table describes the differences:
| Feature / Requirement | WIS 42XX (WiFi 5) | WIS4300 (WiFi 6) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 WiFi Radios | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bluetooth & Spectrum Analysis | ✔ | ✔ |
| 24/7 data collection | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wired Network Tests | ✔ | ✔ |
| Detect WiFi 6 APs & Clients | ✔ | ✔ |
| WiFi Network Tests with a WiFi 6 capable AP, as a WiFi 5 client | ✔ | ✔ |
| WiFi Network Tests with a WiFi 6 capable AP, as a WiFi 6 client | X | ✔ |
| Requires 802.3at PoE+ | X | ✔ |
¶ Q5. Is there an additional charge for choosing a specific model of the sensor?
Customers may choose either model - depending on the type of AP models (WiFi-5 / WiFi-6), and / or the type of Ethernet switches (PoE / PoE+) they have within their network. There is no additional charge for choosing either model. Hardware upgrades, including warranty and support are all included as long as the license is active.
¶ Q6. Does Wyebot directly manage the customer’s WLAN infrastructure / controllers / APs?
No. Wyebot does not directly manage the WLAN controllers and/or APs. Each school gets access to the Wyebot cloud dashboard using their own account, where they can view data collected via the Wyebot sensors including historical data.
Wyebot WIP™ uses AI-based methods to detect problems and recommend solutions along with end-user experience analytics. Based on the recommendations provided by the Wyebot dashboard, a customer can make changes to their WLAN system. The WiFi APs are not managed by Wyebot.
¶ Form 471
The following questions only apply, if Wyebot is selected as the preferred solution by the SLD (Schools and Libraries Division) Applicant.
¶ Q7. What is Wyebot’s “498 ID” or “Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN)”?
Wyebot’s 498 ID/SPIN is 143050718.
¶ Q8. What is the Type of Managed Service Agreement?
Please select “Managed and leased from a third party service provider”, as shown below:
¶ Q9. Are there any monthly recurring costs for Wyebot WIP™?
No. Wyebot offers the 1, 3 and 5 year licenses, as “one-time non-recurring costs”. Please select zero (0) for monthly recurring costs.
Screenshot below shows USAC’s Bulk Upload Template for Category Two - Managed Internal Broadband Services (v21.0)
You may need to create a row for each Billed Entity Number (BEN).
¶ Q10. Is there a one-time charge for Wyebot WIP™?
Yes. Full payment for all service license durations (1, 3 or 5 years) is due upfront.
Screenshot below shows USAC’s Bulk Upload Template for Category Two - Managed Internal Broadband Services (v21.0)
¶ Q11. I am not using USAC’s Bulk Upload Template, can you share what my 471 should look like?
Please see a sample screenshot below.
¶ Q12. How do I fill the section “Agreement Information - Contract”?
Please see Table below. The answers may vary depending upon the duration of license chosen by the SLD Applicant.
¶ Q13. Can I take the 3-year or 5-year license price, and split it into “three” or “five” annual payments respectively?
No. If you purchase a 3 or 5 year license then the full payment is made up front. Please see the response from USAC clarifying this, by clicking here.
Wyebot offers financing options for the Applicant’s portion (aka discounted amount). See next question for details and examples.
¶ Q14. Does Wyebot offer any financing options for the Applicant’s portion (aka discounted amount), if they choose a multi-year SKU?
Yes. See details and examples below.
- A financing fee of 5% applies to the discounted amount only, and can be split into
- 3 annual payments when choosing 3-year SKUs (L-1003-N0 or L-1003-R0).
- 5 annual payments when choosing 5-year SKUs (L-1005-N0 or L-1005-R0).
- USAC amount cannot be split into annual payments, and must be paid upfront, regardless of the USAC billing method: SPI or BEAR.
¶ Q15: Can I file multiple Form 471s within the same Funding Year for the same Category?
Yes. This has been confirmed by USAC. Please see the detailed USAC case response by clicking here.
¶ Q16: How do I respond to USAC’s Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) team questions:
-
Please provide the make and model and/or the SKU number for each piece of the equipment that the Managed Internal Broadband Services is supporting.
Example of a make and model number: Brand X Router 345J. -
If you would like to provide any additional information about these issues that have not been addressed above:
Use the text box to type information, or upload additional documentation using the “Browse” button.
(a) Wyebot solution is vendor-agnostic and works with any AP vendor. Therefore to answer this question, please use the make and model of the WiFi Access Points that you use. For example, if you use Cisco Meraki MR42 and MR52 APs, please use those model numbers.
(b) The SKUs for Wyebot’s Managed Internal Broadband Service are listed in Question 2 above, and can be provided as additional information, if desired.