November 21, 2022

E-Rate System Consolidation

USAC is consolidating its E-Rate Legacy applications and forms into the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC). This change leverages existing technology you are familiar with and moves E-Rate invoicing and post-commitment activities into a single platform. E-Rate invoicing related forms (the FCC Form 472, FCC Form 473, and the FCC Form 474) will be moved into EPC as part of this consolidation.

Consolidating the E-Rate Legacy applications will help USAC improve the user experience and improve internal reviews of invoices and post-commitment activities. While the interface will look different, the information and documentation to be submitted for these E-Rate transactions will not change.

Consolidation Launch
Implementation will occur after January 29, 2023, which is the FY2021 E-Rate non-recurring services invoice filing deadline. USAC will make a public announcement once we determine the exact date. Before the launch, USAC will also provide training materials and training sessions to assist users through this change.

Preparing for the Change
Once E-Rate invoicing is moved into EPC, invoicing access for applicants will be based on user access rights in EPC instead of the current BEAR PIN process. Access to submit the FCC Form 472 (BEAR) will be determined based on the permissions established in the Applicant Manage User Permissions page using a new “472/BEAR Permissions” column. Access to submit the FCC Form 474 (SPI) will be determined based on the permissions established in the Service Provider Manage User Permissions page.

USAC will migrate existing invoicing permissions before the implementation occurs. USAC will provide more details about this in the future. To prepare, entities should review the EPC account administrators associated with their accounts and update, if needed.

Update Your EPC Account Administrator
Follow these steps if you are the current EPC account administrator.

   Applicants:

• Log into EPC. The My Landing Page opens.
• Select the name of the filing entity under My Entities. The Summary page opens.
• Select More Actions (next to Manage Organization) in the upper right hand corner. Click Modify Account Administrator.
• Review the current Account Administrator and update by placing a check mark beside the desired Account Administrator. Select Continue.
  
• A summary page showing the current and the newly selected Account Administrator appears. If the information is correct, click Submit.

   Service Providers:

• Your account administrator is established in EPC in Block 13 Company Contact for Schools and Libraries on your FCC Form 498.
• To update your account administrator, you must submit an updated FCC Form 498 in the E-File System. 

Note: Service providers that submit a new FCC Form 498 or revise their current FCC Form 498 must have an active unique entity identifier (UEI) through SAM.gov. To learn more, read our latest bulletin and watch the new Register for a New 498 ID and Update SAM.gov Unique Entity ID on the FCC Form 498 videos.

Establish a New Account Administrator
These steps should be followed if your EPC account administrator is no longer available to make these changes in EPC.

• Contact the E-Rate Customer Service Center at (888) 203-8100, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 8 pm E.T.
• Provide a reference letter of agency from the school/library district on the organization’s letterhead (or from the organization’s email domain) including the new EPC account administrator’s name, title, signature, and contact information. 

Where and when can I get more information on these changes?
The E-Rate System Consolidation page on the E-Rate website includes updates and information about this consolidation effort. USAC will also add content to its Announcements page and Upcoming Dates page, and provide important information in its monthly E-Rate News Briefs, including Special Editions as needed, to keep you aware of key dates and any actions required by E-Rate participants.

Will USAC provide training and resources to assist users submitting invoices?
USAC will provide support surrounding the transition to EPC including learning modules, E-Rate News Brief articles, and webinars. The E-Rate Announcements page and Upcoming Dates page will also provide information about training materials and upcoming events related to this consolidation effort. Subscribe to the E-Rate News Brief to stay on top of the updates, if you have not done so yet.

I noticed in the videos on the E-Rate Legacy system consolidation page that I will be able to send an attachment when submitting an invoice. Will this be required for all invoice lines in December?
Attachments supporting your invoice will not be required. This is a feature that is being added to be used when additional information will be requested and to help streamline the invoice outreach and review processes. A common example are invoice lines for BMIC (Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections) services. Additional information is often requested for this type of invoice lines during the review and outreach processes.

Will invoicing notifications (such as remittance statements) still be mailed to applicants and service providers through the U.S. Postal Service?
No. All notifications, including remittance statements, will be sent through the EPC platform providing users with a consolidated place to locate and view information on the status of their E-Rate invoice requests.

Where will I be able to see the status of invoice lines submitted after the transition?
The invoice lines and all details about these lines will be available in EPC. Information on paid invoice lines will continue to be posted in USAC’s E-Rate Open Data tools.

Who should I contact with any questions about this E-Rate Legacy system consolidation?
Please contact the E-Rate Customer Service Center (CSC) by creating a case in EPC or by calling (888) 203-8100, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 8 pm E.T. New users to the E-Rate program should call CSC to set up an EPC user account.