 |
|
|
Funding Guidelines:
>
Reimbursable Costs
Funding Guidelines
Following are general guidelines about the types of costs that will be funded.
Reimbursable Costs
Licensees are required to agree with Sprint Nextel on the costs associated with their reconfiguration.
In general, the TA will approve reasonable and prudent expenses directly related
to the retuning of an 800 MHz system for reimbursement. Funding will be available
to assist a licensee with valid planning activities as well as for the licensee's
actual system reconfiguration. All 800 MHz reconfiguration costs will be classified
into two basic categories: hard costs and transactional costs. The Cost
Classification Policy, available on the TA's website, clarifies the difference
between hard costs and transactional costs, and the treatment of these costs.
The TA also offers online webinars
on Cost Classification. Please visit the TA's website for more information, including
how to sign up for upcoming webinars, and to view slides and listen to recordings of previous webinars.
All licensee reconfiguration costs must be included in a Request for Planning
Funding or a Cost Estimate and must be approved by both Sprint Nextel and the
TA. Licensees will be required to certify that the costs are the "minimum necessary"
to provide facilities comparable to those presently in use.
Many consultants and vendors are advising licensees to undertake certain planning and
reconfiguration activities and to enter into contracts with them in advance of obtaining
approval for those costs from Sprint Nextel and the TA. Licensees are reminded that any
planning or reconfiguration activities undertaken that have not been approved
by both Sprint Nextel and the TA are at risk for non-payment/reimbursement if
both Sprint Nextel and the TA do not subsequently approve the related costs when
the licensee submits a Request for Planning Funding or a Cost Estimate. Licensees
are therefore encouraged to obtain approval from both Sprint Nextel and the TA
prior to incurring costs for planning or reconfiguration activities in order to
ensure that they are reimbursable. In addition, prior to submitting Cost Estimates
to Sprint Nextel, licensees should fully vet bids and quotes submitted by potential
service providers to ensure that the activities are reasonable and prudent expenses directly related to the retuning
of an 800 MHz system and that the costs are not excessive or unreasonable.
Costs for the following types of activities may be reimbursable:
 |
Inventorying your subscriber equipment and infrastructure facilities. |
|
Evaluating proposed frequencies (including use of Frequency Consultants). |
|
Defining the interoperability environment. |
|
Equipment costs required for reconfiguration, including retuning, reprogramming, and replacement (where necessary). |
|
Filing FCC applications. |
|
Installation, testing, and engineering associated with reconfiguration. |
|
Legal fees associated with negotiating your Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement with Sprint Nextel. |
|
Preparing a Cost Estimate (and SOW if necessary) for your reconfiguration implementation. |
|
Activities of licensee personnel performing reconfiguration and associated planning activities. |
|
Educational events associated with reconfiguration, as outlined in the TA's Educational Reimbursement Policy. |
|
|
|
|