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May 9, 2014
TIP OF THE WEEK: May 27, 2014 is the deadline for submitting FY2014 Item 21 attachments and FCC Form 471 certifications. Review and follow the guidance below if you have not yet certified your form or submitted your attachment(s).
Commitments for Funding Years 2014 and 2013
Funding Year 2014. More than $607 million in funding has been committed for Funding Year (FY) 2014, $450 million of which is for broadband connectivity. The Wave 1 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) will be released May 15 and include commitments for approved Priority 1 (Telecommunications Services and Internet Access) requests at all discount levels for more than 14,600 applications.
Funding Year 2013. USAC will release FY2013 Wave 51 FCDLs May 14. This wave includes commitments for approved Priority 1 requests at all discount levels. As of May 9, FY2013 commitments total just over $2.05 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.
May 27 Deadline for Item 21 Attachments and FCC Form 471 Certifications
The May 27 deadline for submitting FY2014 Item 21 attachments and FCC Form 471 certifications is fast approaching. We have included information below for those applicants that have not completed one or both of these important steps in the FY2014 application process.
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If you do not submit an Item 21 attachment on or before May 27, the Block 5 Funding Request Number (FRN) associated with that Item 21 attachment will be considered out-of-window. You can submit an Item 21 attachment online, by email, or by fax on or before May 27; you can also postmark a paper Item 21 attachment on or before May 27.
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If you do not certify your FCC Form 471 on or before May 27, your form will be considered out-of-window. You can certify an FCC Form 471 online on or before May 27 if you have a PIN; you can also postmark a paper certification on or before May 27.
USAC has posted a List of FRNs for FY2014 Missing Item 21 Attachments and a List of FY2014 FCC Forms 471 Not Yet Certified on its website. Note that these lists are static – you can find information at the top of each list about the dates that the entries on the lists were identified and which forms or FRNs are included.
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To ask about the status of an Item 21 attachment filed by email, fax, or paper, call the Client Service Bureau (CSB). Before you call, be sure to have your FCC Form 471 application number, the method of submission (email, fax, or paper), and the date of your submission.
- ITEM 21 ATTACHMENTS
The Item 21 attachment contains a detailed description of the products and services you are requesting. You provide an attachment number in Item 21 of each FCC Form 471 Block 5 funding request that will correspond with your Item 21 attachment, and then you submit that Item 21 attachment separately from the application.
NOTE: You must provide an Item 21 attachment for EACH FRN on your FCC Form 471. Also, if you are filing your Item 21 attachment online, you MUST click on the Submit button on the last page to submit your Item 21 attachment to USAC.
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Clicking "Save & Exit" allows you to save your work to the point you stop and then return later to complete your work.
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Clicking "Submit" submits your Item 21 attachment to USAC and returns a time-stamped confirmation page.
Following are some specific tips for Item 21 attachments for each of the four categories of service – Telecommunications Services, Internet Access, Internal Connections, and Basic Maintenance. If you include the information suggested in the tips, your PIA reviewer will be able to more easily make determinations of the eligibility of the components of each of your funding requests. For details on each of these tips, refer to the Item 21 Attachments guidance document on the USAC website.
Telecommunications Services
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Provide the specific type(s) of service requested.
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Provide the number of lines, including the number of extensions.
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For digital transmission services, provide the bandwidth.
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If you are submitting a copy of your bill as all or part of your Item 21 attachment:
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Pick a bill that represents your typical monthly costs. One month is generally sufficient.
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Make sure the dollar amount of the bill is typical of your monthly costs and supports your request.
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Include the page(s) that detail any miscellaneous charges and/or credits.
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Identify any ineligible charges.
Internet Access
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For digital transmission circuit(s) for basic conduit access to the Internet, provide the bandwidth of the services you are requesting.
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If you are requesting web hosting services, ask your service provider for a cost allocation and include it with your attachment.
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Clearly identify the total cost of the service as well the percentage of the total cost for which you are seeking funding.
Internal Connections
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For all Internal Connections requests, provide the make and model number and the quantity of any equipment included in your funding request.
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For bundled products, in addition to the make and model numbers, provide the SKU (stock-keeping unit, a unique identifying number assigned by a company to each of its products and/or services).
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Equipment that can be used in both eligible and ineligible ways should have its function or functions clearly identified with an appropriate cost allocation.
Basic Maintenance
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Provide a list of all of the equipment being supported by the basic maintenance.
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State the basic maintenance tasks that you estimate will be performed and the costs associated with those tasks.
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If your basic maintenance contract includes both eligible and ineligible equipment, be sure you can provide a clearly identifiable price for the ineligible equipment.
Your service provider(s) can assist you with creating your Item 21 attachment. Your service provider may have specific details that USAC needs, which may include network diagrams, SKUs, or other information not readily available to you. Be sure also to share with your service provider a copy of the Item 21 attachment you submit to USAC.
Submitting your Item 21 attachment(s)
Here are your options for submitting your Item 21 attachment(s):
1. File online using the Item 21 Attachment button on the Apply Online page. You will need your Billed Entity Number, your FCC Form 471 application number, and your security code. (You cannot file your attachment online if you submitted your FCC Form 471 on paper.)
2. Attach your submission to an email message and email it to USAC.
3. Fax your submission to: (973) 599-6511.
4. Mail your submission to:
SLD Forms
FCC Form 471 - Item 21 Attachment
P.O. Box 7026
Lawrence, KS 66044-7026
5. Send your submission by delivery service to:
SLD Forms
ATTN: FCC Form 471 - Item 21 Attachment
3833 Greenway Drive
Lawrence, KS 66046
TELEPHONE: 1-888-203-8100
If you are using the View 471 Status tool to check your status, remember that the tool will only show the status of an FCC Form 471, not the status of each FRN on that form.
- FCC FORM 471 CERTIFICATIONS
To certify online, you must have a PIN and the security code for the FCC Form 471 you filed online:
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Go to the Apply Online page and click the Certify Complete button in the FCC Form 471 column.
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Enter your application number and security code and click Electronic Certification.
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On the resulting page, you must enter your PIN and check the box to affirm that you understand that the use of your PIN is the same as your written signature.
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When you click the Done button at the bottom of the page, the system will return a CertID, a unique number that confirms your successful certification. We suggest that you click OK on the popup box and then print a copy of the resulting certification page, which will feature your CertID in the signature line as proof of your successful online certification.
To certify on paper:
After you successfully certify your FCC Form 471, the status of that form will change to "Certified - Out Of Window" on the View 471 Status tool. Once all of the paper certifications postmarked on or before May 27 have been processed, USAC will move in-window all timely filed applications with certifications received or postmarked by the extended deadline.
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