|
August 31, 2018
TIP OF THE WEEK: If you are an applicant who intends to file BEAR Forms for Funding Year 2017 recurring services, make sure that you have a certified FCC Form 498 that USAC has reviewed and approved. If your form is certified, but USAC has not yet reviewed your bank account documentation and approved your form, you can contact 888-641-8722 (choose option 4 - contributor assistance) to check the status of our review.
Commitments for Funding Year 2018
Funding Year 2018. USAC released Funding Year (FY) 2018 Wave 21 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on August 31. As of August 31, FY2018 commitments total over $1.69 billion.
On the date that FCDLs are issued, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC).
Register for the September Invoicing Webinar
Join USAC for the monthly E-rate Program webinar. In September, we will discuss the invoicing process for applicants and service providers. In this webinar, you will learn more about the filing FCC Form 472 (BEAR), FCC Form 474 (SPI), electronic invoicing for service providers, invoice deadlines, and more.
If you would like to learn more about these concepts, please join us for the live webinar at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 19. You will be able to ask questions during the webinar. USAC staff members will be responding to individual questions in real time, and the webinar facilitators will also respond to questions of general interest at the end of the webinar.
To register for the webinar in advance, you can click here. Registration is also available on the Trainings & Outreach page and the Webinars page. If you register but are unable to attend, you can click the registration link to watch a recording of the webinar.
Service Delivery Deadline Extensions for FY2017 Non-Recurring Services (Other than Special Construction)
The deadline for delivery and installation of non-recurring services (e.g., installations, equipment purchases) is generally September 30 following the close of the funding year. For FY2017 non-recurring services, the deadline is September 30, 2018.
This service delivery deadline can be extended under certain circumstances, either automatically or through a request.
Automatic extensions
For FY2017, this deadline will be extended for one year – to September 30, 2019 – if USAC issues an FCDL on or after March 1, 2018. This deadline will also be extended to September 30, 2019 if USAC issues a Revised FCDL (RFCDL) on or after March 1, 2018 for one of the following:
-
approval of an appeal for a funding request that was originally denied funding,
-
approval of a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) change, or
-
approval of a service substitution.
Requested extensions
Service delivery deadline extensions required in other instances are not automatic and must be requested from and approved by USAC. Service providers who are (1) unable to meet this deadline for reasons beyond their control or (2) unwilling to complete delivery and installation because USAC withheld invoice payments on the services for more than 60 days can ask the affected applicants to request a one-year extension of the deadline by completing and certifying an FCC Form 500, Funding Commitment Adjustment Request Form, on or before September 30, 2018 for FY2017 non-recurring services.
Note that the FCC Form 500 is filed by applicants, not service providers. If you as a service provider are aware of the need to request an extension, work with your customer (the applicant) to get this form completed and certified no later than September 30, 2018.
Note that extending a service delivery deadline for an FRN to September 30, 2019 will automatically extend the invoice deadline for that FRN to January 28, 2020. You should not submit an invoice deadline extension request for an extended FRN at this time, as you will use up your one-time extension and not be able to request a second one if you need it.
|