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June 4, 2021
TIP OF THE WEEK: Remember that you must still check the Early Filing box on the FY2021 FCC Form 486 if you are certifying the form in the month of June. Early filing – that is, certifying the FCC Form 486 before services have started – is available through July 31, 2021. After that date, services must have started before you certify your FCC Form 486.
Commitments for Funding Year (FY) 2021 and FY2020
FY2021. USAC released FY2021 Wave 8 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on June 3. As of June 4, FY2021 commitments total over $1.24 billion.
FY2020. USAC released FY2020 Wave 57 FCDLs on June 2. As of June 4, FY2020 commitments total over $2.39 billion.
On the date that USAC issues FCDLs, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC).
APPLICANTS: Complete and Certify Any In-Process FY2021 FCC Forms 470 by June 25
Some applicants currently have uncertified FY2021 FCC Forms 470 within the EPC system. In order to prepare for the deployment of the FY2022 FCC Form 470 on July 1, USAC must remove access to FY2021 FCC Forms 470 at the end of this month.
Consequently, we recommend that any applicant who wants to rely on an uncertified FCC Form 470 that is currently in the EPC system should certify that form no later than June 25, 2021. It can then still be cited, for example, to open a competitive bidding process for FY2022.
As a reminder, there is not an FCC Form 470 filing requirement for Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) requests for funding.
Reminder of June 30 Deadline to Complete Special Construction Required to Light or Use the Fiber
To be eligible for E-Rate program discounts for special construction charges – whether for leased lit fiber, leased dark fiber, or a self-provisioned network – special construction must be completed in time for the fiber to be lit (or for a self-provisioned network involving another technology to be in use) by the end of the relevant funding year (i.e., June 30, 2021 for FY2020). If this June 30 deadline is not met and you have not received an extension, the special construction charges will not be eligible for support under program rules.
If you sought support for special construction related to leased dark fiber or self-provisioned networks for FY2020, you may request a one-year extension of the June 30 deadline by demonstrating that construction was unavoidably delayed due to weather or other reasons or the late issuance of an FCDL. You must demonstrate that the reason or reasons have unavoidably delayed special construction in a manner that prevents the fiber from being lit (or a self-provisioned network using another technology to be in use) by the June 30 deadline.
If you sought support for special construction charges related to leased lit fiber, you may also request a one-year extension on this basis if you requested support for the special construction charges in a funding request that is separate and distinct from the leased lit fiber recurring charges.
Applicants seeking an extension of the deadline to complete special construction should take one of the following steps:
If you need assistance, you can open a customer service case in EPC or call the Client Service Bureau at (888) 203-8100.
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