December 30, 2016

Note that the Client Service Bureau and USAC will be closed Monday, January 2, 2017.

Commitments for Funding Years 2016 and 2015

Funding Year 2016. USAC released Funding Year (FY) 2016 Wave 27 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on December 28 and is scheduled to release Wave 28 FCDLs on January 4. These waves include commitments for approved applications for all service types and at all discount levels. As of December 30, FY2016 commitments total over $1.64 billion.

On the date the FCDLs are issued, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC).

Funding Year 2015. USAC released FY2015 Wave 72 FCDLs on December 29. This wave includes commitments for approved requests for all service types and at all discount levels. As of December 30, FY2015 commitments total over $3.31 billion.

The day after the wave runs, you can check to see if you have a commitment by using USAC's Automated Search of Commitments tool. FCDLs for FY2015 will continue to be printed and mailed to applicants and service providers, and emailed to service providers who have signed up to receive electronic notifications.

New Functionality in EPC 

On December 23, 2016, USAC completed an EPC system update to improve the user experience. The following functionality is now available:

• Applicants can request service substitutions through EPC and view their requests after they have been submitted.
• Applicants can request SPIN changes through EPC and view their requests after they have been submitted.
• Applicants can file and certify the FCC Form 500 online.

Online user guides and videos will be posted soon. We will provide an update in the news brief as these training tools become available.

Ombudsman Inquiries Must Be Submitted to CSB or in EPC

USAC is streamlining the way we receive your Ombudsman inquiries. Please know we're not doing away with the Ombudsman role. In fact, we're expanding our response team so your inquiries are addressed as quickly as possible.

Effective December 21, 2016, USAC is discontinuing the Ombudsman@usac.org email account and will now accept all customer service inquiries directly through the Client Service Bureau (CSB). CSB can assist with status updates on your E-rate applications, invoice requests and address questions regarding the E-rate Program.

To submit your inquiry, use one of the following options:

1) Call CSB at (888) 203-8100 between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM ET. A ticket will be created for you.

2) Open a customer service case in EPC:

• Log in to the EPC portal.
• Click the "Actions" icon on the blue menu bar at the top of the page and then choose the "Contact Us" option.
• Complete the case information and upload any supporting documents (if applicable).
• When you have entered all of your information, click "Submit." 

"File Along With Me"

Last year, USAC introduced "File Along With Me," a blog that covered each step of the FY2016 E-rate Program application process. We are relaunching the blog in 2017. Stay tuned!