About High Cost:

• Overview of the Program
• Overview of the Process
• Site Visits
• Training Events
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• Filing Appeals
• Red Light Status (FCC site)
• Requesting Confidential Information
• Understanding Audits
• Understanding Disaggregation
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• USAC FCC Filings

High Cost Tools:

• Required Forms
• Filing Requirements and Deadlines
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• High Cost Maps IAS
• HCM CLLI Tool
• Wire Center – UNE Zone Mapping
• Disaggregation Maps
• Disaggregation Checklist
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• Disbursement Data Search
• Certification Search
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• Latest News
• Program Compliance - Whistleblower Hotline
• Submitting A Complaint

Step 1: Interstate Access Support

Interstate Access Support (IAS) is available to competitive carriers operating in the service areas of price-cap incumbent carriers (mostly non-rural and some rural carriers) and designated as eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) by their state commissions or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Interstate Access Support helps to offset interstate access charges to reduce long distance charges for customers. FCC rules target IAS to $650 million annually. IAS is targeted to the density zones that have the greatest need for it and is provided on a portable, per-line basis.

In response to the 1996 Act, the FCC removed implicit support from interstate access charges and established an explicit IAS component for price-cap carriers to replace the implicit support previously collected through interstate access charges. IAS is available to carriers serving lines in areas where they are unable to recover their permitted revenues from the newly revised subscriber line charges. The FCC adopted the Coalition for Affordable Local and Long-Distance Services (CALLS) proposal on May 31, 2000 to overhaul the interstate access charge system, which created IAS.

IAS is covered in Subpart J of Part 54 of the FCC's rules (47 C.F.R. § 54.800 et seq.).