Step 6 Starting Services

After you have received your Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) and the delivery of your services has started, you file an FCC Form 486 to inform USAC that:

• services for which you have been approved for discounts have started and invoicing can begin,
• your technology plan - if you are required to have one - has been approved by a USAC-certified Technology Plan Approver, and
• you are in compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) - or CIPA does not apply because your application is only for Telecommunications Services and/or Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

Before Starting Services

In advance of the start of services, you and your service provider(s) should have a conversation about the details of the services you will be receiving. You should also review your contract, if you have one. In addition, you should determine whether you or your service provider will invoice USAC for the discounted amount of the cost of the services.

Note that under certain circumstances, advance installation of some Priority 1 components can occur before July 1 of the funding year.

Filing an FCC Form 486 Early

You can file an FCC Form 486 early (before services have started) if:

• You have received your FCDL.
• Your services will start in the month of July.
• You can truthfully make all of the certifications in Block 4, which include compliance with the technology plan and CIPA requirements.
• You are filing the form on or before July 31.

You must be in compliance with the Schools and Libraries Program's technology plan requirements and the requirements of CIPA before services start. USAC cannot pay discounts on services received during a period of time when you are not in compliance. USAC may review your compliance with these requirements either before or after your FCC Form 486 is processed.

Filing Deadline

The FCC Form 486 must be certified no later than 120 days after the service start date or 120 days after the date of the FCDL, whichever is later. Filing late can result in a reduction in funding; the later the filing date, the greater the reduction.

FCC Form 486 Notification Letter

After USAC completes the processing of your FCC Form 486, USAC will issue an FCC Form 486 Notification Letter. This letter features the information you provided on the form and outlines the next steps in the application process. If USAC was required to adjust the service start date for a funding request due to a compliance issue, the service start date in the letter will be marked with an asterisk and followed by an explanation of the reason for the adjustment.

Next Step

After USAC has processed your FCC Form 486 and you have begun to receive services, you or your service provider can invoice USAC for the discount share of those services.