FCC Grants Connect America Fund Support Reduction Waivers

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) granted a limited waiver of the support reduction schedule for certain recipients of Connect America Fund (CAF) high-cost support that missed the July 1, 2024 network performance testing certification deadline. The Bureau finds good cause to consider a carrier to have certified its network performance testing based on when it contacted the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) about its certification.  Specifically, for carriers that contacted USAC prior to the July 1, 2024 deadline, the FCC waives the certification deadline if the carrier clearly communicated that it did not have data to submit for certain quarters or if it notified USAC that it had technical difficulties testing or with the USAC system.  For carriers that contacted USAC after the July 1, 2024 deadline, the FCC will consider the date the carrier contacted or responded to USAC as the certification date.  The FCC will consider carriers that had no subscribers to test to have timely certified their network performance testing.