December 22, 2020

E-rate Funding Year 2021 Application Filing Window Opens January 15, 2021

Dear E-rate Participant:

I am pleased to announce the Funding Year (FY) 2021 FCC Form 471 application filing window will open on Friday, January 15, 2021, at 12:00 noon EST and will close on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

The E-rate section of USAC's website provides resources for new applicants or applicants continuing to participate in the program. I recommend that you review the following resources, or any others that apply to your situation, as you begin your FY2021 preparations:

First-time Filers – If you are new to the E-rate Program, you will need a user account for yourself in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC), our applicant and service provider portal. For security purposes, you will also need a login and password for One Portal, our multi-factor authentication security system, in order to access your account. Your EPC account administrator can help you set these up. If your organization has not participated in the E-rate Program before, we can also help you set up your organization's EPC profile and work with you to set up your account administrator. Please call our Client Service Bureau (CSB) at (888) 203-8100 for assistance.

Category Two (C2) Budgets – The new five-year C2 budget cycle begins with FY2021. The budgets are fixed for the five-year cycle – although you can request to update budget information during the budget cycle – and apply at the school district or library system level. View the Category Two Budgets webinar.

Proceed With Competitive Bidding – If you have not started the competitive bidding process by filing your FCC Form 470, please begin now. Remember that you must wait at least 28 days after filing the FCC Form 470 before entering into an agreement with your selected service provider(s) and filing your application. View the E-rate Pre-Commitment Process webinar.

Update Your EPC Profile During the Administrative Window – Update your EPC profile by January 13, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. EST to ensure a smoother filing process and more timely review of your applications. You will not be able to make changes to your profile through your organization's profile in EPC after that date. View the EPC Administrative Window webinar, which includes information about establishing accounts and user rights for EPC.

Install Browser Updates – Google Chrome is the recommended browser for EPC, but no matter which browser you use, be sure the latest version is installed on your computer.

USAC remains dedicated to efficient and effective review of your FY2021 applications. We encourage everyone to submit their applications as early in the filing window as possible so USAC can begin the review processes necessary to complete your applications and issue timely funding commitment decisions.

While many in the E-rate community continue to manage through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, USAC stands ready to assist applicants and service providers with their E-rate issues. We wish you a successful FY2021 and, as always, we are here to help. Open a customer service case in EPC or call CSB at (888) 203-8100 on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST for assistance.

Sincerely,

Craig Davis
Vice President, Schools and Libraries Division