Universal Service Administrative Company
USAC Releases CAF Map 4.0
USAC has released version 4.0 of the Connect America Fund Broadband Map (CAF Map), an interactive online map that shows the impact of the Connect America Fund (CAF) on broadband expansion to close the digital divide in rural America.
FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program USAC Service Provider Election Process Now Open
Beginning March 11, 2021, broadband service providers can submit election notices to Universal Service Administrative Company to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
National Verifier Year in Review
In 2020, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) reached exciting milestones with the Lifeline National Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier). With the full launch of California on December 18, 2020, all 56 states and territories have fully launched in the National Verifier.
Rural Health Care Program Filing Window Opens
January 4, 2021 is the first day applicants can submit Health care Fund and Telecom Program funding requests (FCC Forms 462 and 466) for FY2021. The filing window period for FY2021 is January 4 – April 1, 2021. This means that you must submit your funding requests (FCC Forms 462 or 466) as early as January 4 and no later than 11:59 p.m. ET April 1, 2021 to be considered to receive funding for FY2021. USAC highly encourages you to submit your application forms as early as possible in the filing window.
Universal Service Administrative Company Wants to Automate Verification Process
The Univeral Service Administrative Company (USAC) is seeking to gather information from US-based companies that have an established record of accomplishment of cost-effectively automating manual, repetitive, and rule-based processes using Robotic Process Automations (RPAs). This Request for Information (RFI) describes the information being requested and provides instructions on how to respond. Proposals are due no later than Aug 28, 2020 at 2:00 PM ET.
Federal Universal Service Support Mechanisms Quarterly Contribution Base for the Third Quarter 2020
The total projected collected interstate and international end-user revenue base to be used in determining the contribution factor for the Universal Service support mechanisms for the third quarter of 2020 is $10,219,123,520. This amount was derived using the projected collected revenue reported on the Federal Communications Commission Form 499-Q submissions. Interstate telecommunications service providers were required to complete this form reporting July to September 2020 projected collected revenue information and return it by May 1, 2020.
Federal Universal Service Support Mechanisms Fund Size Projections for Third Quarter 2020
USAC projects a consolidated budget of $60.24 million for the third quarter of 2020. Direct costs for all support mechanisms total $35.75 million. Joint and common costs (including billing, collection, and disbursement activities) total $24.49 million.
USAC Issues First Wave for Funding Year 2020
On May 9, 2020, USAC issued the first wave of Funding Year (FY) 2020 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs). FY2020 Wave 1 included almost $680.7 million in funding commitments, and funding decisions on over 53% of the 38,207 applications that were received on or before the close of the FY2020 application filing window on April 29, 2020. Funds for Learning notes that the wave came only ten days after the close of the filing window, and was a record-setting funding wave by all accounts:
E-Rate Demand Estimate for Funding Year 2020
The Universal Service Administrative Company’s estimate of demand for the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism discounts (also known as the E-rate) for Funding Year (FY) 2020 is $2.91 billion, of which $1.74 billion is for Category 1 services (mainly broadband internet access service) and $1.17 billion is for Category 2 services (mainly internal connections).