March 16, 2012

Commitments for Funding Years 2011 and 2010

Funding Year 2011. USAC will release FY2011 Wave 39 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) March 20. This wave includes commitments for approved Priority 2 (Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance) requests at 90% and denials at 79% and below. As of March 16, FY2011 commitments total over $1.94 billion.

Funding Year 2010. USAC will release FY2010 Wave 90 FCDLs March 21. This wave can include commitments for approved Priority 2 services at all discount levels. As of March 16, FY2010 commitments total over $3.04 billion.

On the day the FCDLs are mailed, you can check to see if you have a commitment by using USAC's Automated Search of Commitments tool.

Service Provider Training Reminder

USAC has announced the opening of registration for the two spring service provider training sessions in May in Atlanta and Los Angeles. If you would like to register for a training session and/or to find information on hotel reservations, refer to the Training Sessions and Presentations page on the USAC website.

Reminders for Last-minute Filers

For those of you that have not yet completed your FCC Forms 471 and Item 21 attachments, we are providing the reminders below to help keep you on track for the close of the application filing window. These reminders have gone out or will go out in shorter emails but are all collected here.

If you are having difficulties filing online, refer to the Tips and Troubleshooting document on the USAC website or call the Client Service Bureau.

General Reminders

1. Don’t put Priority 1 (P1) and Priority 2 (P2) funding requests on the same FCC Form 471. Doing so can significantly delay your funding decisions on the P1 funding requests.

2. If you don’t have entity numbers, you can request them from the Client Service Bureau through Submit a Question, by fax at 1-888-276-8736, or by phone at 1-888-203-8100. You will need entity numbers for the Block 1 applicant and all Block 4 recipients of service.

3. If you are filing online, be sure to click the Submit button, choose your method of certification (online or on paper), and complete the certification process.

4. If you will receive services under a contract, sign and date your contract ON OR AFTER your allowable contract date and BEFORE you submit your FCC Form 471.

Deadlines

1. The FCC Form 471 application filing window will close at 11:59 pm EDT on Tuesday, March 20. Both your FCC Form 471 and your Item 21 attachment(s) must be received or postmarked before the window closes to be considered as in-window.

2. You must wait until your Allowable Contract Date (28 days after the FCC Form 470 was posted) before you can file an FCC Form 471 that cites that FCC Form 470.

FCC Form 471 Block 1

1. If you don’t yet have an FCC Registration Number (FCC RN) for the Block 1 applicant, you can apply for one on the Commission Registration (CORES) System section of the FCC website. You must have an FCC RN to complete Block 1 of the form.

2. If a consultant has a new employee, the consultant must contact the Client Service Bureau to add the employee to the drop-down menu in the online form (Item 6g). Entries cannot be typed into this field.

FCC Form 471 Block 4 Worksheets

1. If you are applying for a new entity, make sure you have supporting documentation to show that it is eligible for participation in the program.

2. Keep documentation that supports your discount calculations – National School Lunch Program (NSLP) eligibility, Direct Certification numbers, alternate discount mechanisms, etc. – so that it will be available for application review.

3. If you have NCES codes for schools or FSCS codes for libraries, have those handy when you file. These codes are not assigned by USAC, but you can search for them on the Search for Schools, Colleges, and Libraries page of the NCES website.

FCC Form 471 Block 5 Funding Requests

1. If you are requesting Telecommunications Services, make sure the service provider you choose is eligible to provide them. You can use the SPIN Contact Search Tool and the notes accompanying your search results to get this information, or ask your service provider.

FCC Form 471 Block 6 Certifications

1. In Item 25d, provide a total budgeted amount for necessary resources not eligible for E-rate support, such as computers, training, software, internal connections, maintenance, and electrical capacity necessary to use the services purchased effectively. Entering zero – unless zero is truly the correct answer – can delay the processing of your application.

2. If you are required to have a technology plan, remember to get your plan approved by a USAC-certified technology plan approver before services start for FY2012.

Item 21 Attachments

1. Review the Item 21 attachment guidance document in the Reference Area of the USAC website for details needed for review, examples, and submission options. If you are not filing online, remember to note the attachment number you provided on your FCC Form 471 funding request (Block 5, Item 21).

2. If your request includes equipment, provide the make and model number for each piece of equipment. Your application reviewer will ask for this information if it is not already included.

3. If you are applying for telephone service, provide the number of lines. Not providing this information – or entering one or zero – will delay the processing of your application.

4. Remember to click the Submit button if you have completed your entries in your online Item 21 attachment. Your attachment is not visible to USAC until you click this button.

Contact the Client Service Bureau (CSB) if you have questions.

You can Submit a Question online, fax your question to 1-888-276-8736, or call 1-888-203-8100. Note that CSB will be open extended hours from Saturday, March 17 through Tuesday, March 20.

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