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January 17, 2024
The FY2024 FCC Form 471 Filing Window is Now Open
The Funding Year (FY) 2024 FCC Form 471 application filing window opened today – Wednesday, January 17 at 12 noon ET – and will close on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Below are some critical dates for FY2024.
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FY2024 FCC Form 470 (The First Form): Wednesday, February 28, 2024 is the last date that you can submit and certify an FCC Form 470 and still wait the required minimum 28-day period before submitting and certifying your FCC Form 471 by March 27, 2024, the last date of the FY2024 application filing window.
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FY2024 FCC Form 471 (The Second Form): Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET is the last date that you can submit your FCC Form 471 before the application filing window closes.
The FCC Forms 470 and 471 must be filed in the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC). The dates and times above apply to the time the form is certified in EPC. If you complete all the required information on the form before the deadline but certify it after the deadline, the form will not be considered as timely filed.
Get Started - File Early
USAC recommends that you submit your FCC Form 471 application(s) as early in the filing window as possible so USAC can begin the processes necessary to review your applications and issue timely funding commitment decisions. To start the FY2024 FCC Form 471 application filing process, follow the steps below.
Gain EPC Access – EPC is the account and application management portal for the E-Rate program.
- First-time Filers – If you are new to the E-Rate program, you will need a user account in EPC and a login and password for One Portal, our multi-factor authentication security system. Call our Customer Service Center (CSC) at (888) 203-8100 to set up your organization's EPC profile and account administrator.
Review the Eligible Services List - The Eligible Services List (ESL) for each funding year provides guidance on the eligibility of products and services under the E-Rate program. Note that for FY2024, School Bus Wi-Fi equipment and services are available. USAC recommends applying for these services on a separate FCC Form 471 than your other services. Below are links to the ESL and related documents.
File FCC Form 470 (The First Form)
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Remember you must wait the required minimum 28-day period after filing the FCC Form 470 before entering into an agreement with your selected service provider(s) and filing your FCC Form 471 application(s).
- Review the related user guides:
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Instructional videos on FCC Form 470 are available online:
File FCC Form 471 (The Second Form)
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Submit and certify your FY2024 FCC Form 471 application, the second form in the application process, before the March 27, 2024 filing window deadline.
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Bulk upload templates are available on the FCC Form 471 page for applicants with large numbers of eligible services and/or large numbers of recipients of service. The FCC Form 471 Bulk upload template cannot be used for fiber or Wi-Fi on buses.
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USAC highly recommends that requests for School Bus Wi-Fi equipment and services be submitted on separate FCC Forms 471.
Upcoming Training Opportunities
USAC will conduct a series of webinars during the FY2024 application filing window period focused on E-Rate topics related to FCC Forms 470 and 471. Regularly check the E-Rate Webinar and E-Rate Tribal Training pages for the latest schedule. Below are some upcoming webinars.
The webinars include a formal presentation and opportunities to hear questions from E-Rate program participants. You can provide your questions when registering for a session so that our E-Rate subject matter experts can respond to your questions, or you can ask them during the session using the webinar’s chat function. We will identify questions of general interest that are submitted through the chat function, read and respond to them, and answer specific questions individually using the chat function. As with our regular webinars, we will give preference to questions about the topic under discussion.
If you are interested in attending, register for the webinar and review all materials referenced below for the webinar in advance of the Q&A session.
Eligible Services E-Rate Question & Answer (Q&A) Session
(Thursday, January 18 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET). Register here.
E-Rate subject matter experts will provide an overview of FY2024 E-Rate eligible services for applicants and service providers of all experience levels. There were no changes made to the FY2024 ESL services and equipment eligible for E-Rate support except that School Bus Wi-Fi is now eligible as noted above. Currently, only basic firewall services provided as part of a vendor’s internet services are available as a Category One service, and separately-priced basic firewalls and services are eligible as a Category Two service. Materials to review before the training include:
Competitive Bidding (FCC Form 470) E-Rate Question & Answer (Q&A) Session
(Tuesday, January 23 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET). Register here.
E-Rate subject matter experts will walk you through competitive bidding and the FCC Form 470 with a focus on the FCC Form Guiding Statements Document for all experience levels. Materials to review before the training include:
Service Provider Selection and the FCC Form 471 E-Rate Question & Answer (Q&A) Session
(Thursday, January 25 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET). Register here.
E-Rate subject matter experts will provide an overview of how to apply for program discounts on the FCC Form 471 for applicants of all experience levels. Materials to review before the training include:
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