USAC's Latest News Archive gives you access to all announcements related to the universal service programs as they were made throughout the years.
The April 2018 invoice summary for contributors is now online and available for filers to view in eFile.
Watch this quick video to learn how to access your online invoice summary.
The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) released an enhancement today, April 19, 2018, that allows carriers to update a subscriber's service type to broadband without experiencing an error if the service initiation date is before 12/2/2016.
This enhancement resolves the error message carriers received when attempting to update a subscriber's service type to broadband following the removal of the benefit port freeze in NLAD.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
To ensure that you stay on track with your forms and are able to submit your funding request before the FY2018 filing window closes, USAC has developed recommended submission milestones for all HCF and Telecom program forms. These milestones account for both the minimum competitive bidding time required under RHC Program rules and time for USAC review:
Applicant Type | Recommended Submission Dates |
Indivudal HCPs and consortia in the HCF Program using an RFP | Submit your FCC Form 460 by April 13 Submit your FCC Form 461 by April 30 |
Individual HCPs and consortia in the HCF Program NOT using an RFP | Submit your FCC Form 460 by April 13 Submit your FCC Form 461 by May 14 |
HCPs in the Telecom Program | Submit your FCC Form 465 by May 14 |
Please
note that these are suggested submission dates and not deadlines enforced by
RHC Program rules. View all the recommended
submission milestones for FY2018.
Guides and Webinars
FCC Form
460 and 465 (Eligibility)
FCC Forms
461 and 465 (Request for Services)
The Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program legacy systems will be unavailable from 6:00-9:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 20 for system maintenance. During this time, users will be unable to file invoices and use some of the search tools. The BEAR training site will also be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.
NOTE: The E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) will not be affected by this maintenance.
New TPIV Error Code Add Deceased Subscribers
USAC is enhancing its Third-Party Identity Verification (TPIV) process in NLAD by adding a validation that will check subscribers’ identity to verify that they are not deceased. These changes will involve a new error code that will notify carriers if a subscriber is identified as deceased, and will involve new T codes to be used to dispute the error.
The changes are expected to be released to the NLAD Pre-production environment during the first week of May 2018. The changes will be available for testing in the Pre-Production environment for about two weeks before being moved to production.
Carriers can begin to prepare for this change by updating their API to accommodate the new error message and to send dispute resolution requests for the new error. The authorized proof-of-life documentation associated with each new T code will be updated on usac.org after these changes have been released in Pre-production.
The list of acceptable documentation to resolve the deceased subscriber error, along with the corresponding T codes, will be sent in a separate communication.
Summary of API Changes
If a subscriber is identified as deceased, the TPIV_FAIL_DECEASED message code will be returned in the API, and the appropriate T Code will need to be entered to resolve this error.
One New API Message Code:
One New Argument for POST/Resolution/Submit Request:
Sample JSON with New Argument for POST/Resolution/Submit Request: see bulletin sent on Friday, April 13
Additional Change for Broadband Service Types
In addition to the changes described above, USAC will release functionality next week that removes the requirement that the service initiation date for broadband service types is on or after December 2, 2016.
Carriers will no longer encounter the error "INVALID_BROADBAND_SVCINITDATE" when attempting to update subscribers from a voice to broadband servie type.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
The April 2018 Lifeline Program Webinarrecording and slides are now available in the Learn section.
This month, the User Support team gives a high-level overview of the Lifeline Program's application process, including eligibility checking, designed for service providers who are new to the Lifeline Program.
Contributors paying their March 2018 invoices are reminded that the payment is due to USAC on Friday, April 13, 2018.
Please refer to the instructions at the bottom of your invoice to submit payments.
There are no changes to payment procedures for this month’s payment.
The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) version 3.16.0 was released into the production environment today, April 6, 2018.
In this release, issues that some users experienced when selecting the E16 eligibility code in New York have been resolved. Users should now be able to enroll, verify, update, and transfer any subscriber in New York until the waiver expires on April 30, 2018.
The Detail Subscriber Snapshot report has been updated to reflect a subscriber's anniversary date as of the date the snapshot report was taken, regardless of when the report is pulled.
Lastly, the language that users must accept on the warning page after logging in to NLAD has been updated.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
FY2018
Filing Window Extended
The
FY2018 filing window has been extended through June 29, 2018, giving applicants
additional time to submit their FY2018 funding requests. To be considered
eligible for funding, you must submit your funding requests (FCC Forms 462 for
the HCF Program and FCC Forms 466 in the Telecom Program) by the close of the
window on June 29, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Funding requests submitted after June
29, 2018 will be automatically denied.
View our
how-to guides and tip sheets to assist you during the submission process:
Read more
about funding requests:
FY2017
Funding and Proration Information Available Now
USAC announced FY2017 funding and proration information on March
16, 2018 and this information is available on our website here. Following the
announcement, the RHC Program hosted a webinar further explaining the proration
factors and funding breakdown. The recording and slides are available on our
website: FY2017 Funding Information Webinar.
Did you
receive your FY2017 Funding Commitment Letter (FCL)? Download our How to Read your FY2017 FCL
tip sheet.
FY2017 FRNs Currently in Review
Some
applicants may have received an email notifying them that their FY2017 funding
request was still under review. USAC will reach out when we have more
information about when you will receive your FY2017 FCL. We will also hold an
additional webinar explaining proration and the FY2017 funding information when
the next batch of FCLs is released.
Until then, please read our Information for FY2017 and FY2018
Applicants tip sheet to determine
which forms you should submit for FY2018.
Recommended Submission Milestones Approaching
To ensure
that you stay on track with your forms and are able to submit your funding
request before the FY2018 filing window closes, USAC has developed recommended
submission milestones for all HCF and Telecom program forms. These milestones
account for both the minimum competitive bidding time required under RHC
Program rules and time for USAC review:
Please
note that these are suggested submission dates and not deadlines enforced by
RHC Program rules. View all the recommended submission milestones
for FY2018.
Important Reminders for FY2018
What to
Do If You Receive an Information Request
As you submit your FCC Form 462 or 466, please upload all required documentation with your forms. Forms submitted with incomplete or missing documentation cannot be reviewed, and RHC reviewers will reach out to account holders with a request for additional information (an “Information Request”). RHC will also reach out with Information Requests to clarify specific items related to an application. If you receive an Information Request, you must respond to it within 14 calendar days. If requesting an extension, RHC must receive your request via email prior to the 14 calendar day deadline. Once you respond, the reviewers will be happy to work with you to ensure that they have all the necessary documentation to complete their review. Failure to respond in some fashion within the 14 calendar day timeframe results in a denial, so be sure to meet that deadline!
LOA/TPAs Must Be Up to Date
In order
to be considered eligible for funding in FY2018, Letters of Agency (LOA)
and Third Party Authorizations
(TPA) must be
up to date through a minimum of Funding Year 2018. Be especially mindful if you
are an HCP using a consultant, a consortium leader, or a consultant filing on
behalf of a consortium leader. Before submitting a form, please check to ensure
your authorization documents are up to date.
FCC Forms 462 and 466 submitted with expired LOAs or TPAs will
result in applicants receiving Information Requests.
Service
Provider FY2017 Voluntary Price Reductions per FCC 17-164
In
December 2017, the FCC issued a waiver allowing, but not requiring, service
providers to lower the cost of service on a one-time basis for HCPs which
requested Telecom and/or HCF program support in FY2017. Under this order, the
amount of RHC Program funding committed would not change, but service providers
may voluntarily reduce the cost of service for HCPs up to the amount by which
their RHC Program support was impacted by proration in FY2017.
This order does not affect FY2018 funding requests or funding
determinations in any way. HCPs and service providers should determine on their
own whether they want to participate. If a service provider reduces its rate
downward, that change will not affect the original FCL or any of the language
or dollar amounts located therein.
If you decide to take advantage of this waiver, you must notify
USAC within 90 days of receiving your FY2017 FCL. Documentation should be
emailed to RHC-Assist@usac.org. The email should include the following subject line: “FY17 Service Provider Voluntary Price Reductions [include FRN no.]”
Please include the following information in your email:
A statement signed by the service provider and the HCP detailing
the reduction in cost of service. Specifically, this statement must include:
A record
or documentation from the service provider to the HCP that memorializes the
reduction in the cost of service, to include:
The Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program legacy systems will be unavailable from 6:00-8:30 PM EDT on Monday, April 2 for system maintenance. During this time, users will be unable to file invoices and use some of the search tools. The BEAR training site will also be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.
NOTE: The E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) will not be affected by this maintenance.
The Lifeline benefit port freeze was lifted on March 19, 2018, which now gives subscribers the option to change Lifeline providers without restriction. Following this rule change, USAC has seen an increase in Lifeline benefit transfer requests in NLAD.
As a refresher, before performing a benefit transfer, a service provider must:
Once the service provider has completed these steps with the subscriber, they can perform the benefit transfer in NLAD.
Questions about Lifeline?
If you have questions about benefit transfers or other Lifeline program issues, contact us at LifelineProgram@usac.org.
In this webinar, RHC Program and FCC leadership discuss FY2017 funding and proration information, as well as tips for reading your FCL and helpful resources for applying in FY2018.
Recording and slides are available here.
System maintenance will not occur as scheduled tonight (March 27, 2018) The system maintenance is rescheduled for tomorrow, March 28 from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
The NLAD and LCS production and pre-production environments will not be available for use during this time.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
The FY2018 filing window has been extended through June 29, 2018, giving applicants additional time to submit their FY2018 funding requests. To be considered eligible for funding, you must submit your funding requests (FCC Forms 462 for the HCF Program and FCC Forms 466 in the Telecom Program) by the close of the window on June 29, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Funding requests submitted after June 29, 2018 will be automatically denied.
View our how-to guides and tip sheets to assist you during the submission process:
Read more about funding requests:
The Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program legacy systems will be unavailable from 8:00 PM EDT on Friday, March 23 through 2:00 AM EDT on Saturday, March 24 for system maintenance. During this time, users will be unable to file invoices and use some of the search tools. The BEAR training site will also be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.
NOTE: The E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) will not be affected by this maintenance.
Scheduled System Maintenance on Friday, March 23
The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) will be unavailable due to scheduled system maintenance starting Friday, March 23 at 10 p.m. until Saturday, March 24 at 7 a.m. ET. Please note, the maintenance window is longer this month.
The NLAD and LCS production and pre-production environments will not be available for use during this time.
Additional Scheduled System Maintenance on Tuesday, March 27
The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) will be unavailable due to additional scheduled system maintenance Tuesday, March 27 from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
The NLAD and LCS production and pre-production environments will not be available for use during this time.
For a full calendar list of the updated scheduled maintenance, visit the Maintenance Schedule page on the Lifeline Program website.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
The March 2018 invoice summary for contributors is now online and available for filers to view in eFile.
Watch this quick video to learn how to access your online invoice summary.
The March 2018 issue of Lifeline Program News is now available. Sign up to receive the newsletter by email in the Subscription Center.
March Headlines:
The E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) *TRAINING SITE* will be unavailable from 3:30-4:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 19 for system maintenance. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use the training site. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) version 3.14.0 was released into the production environment Sunday, March 18.
This release eliminated the port freeze for voice and broadband services previously required in section 54.411 of the program's rules. NLAD users will no longer see port freeze errors when enrolling or transferring subscribers. Port freeze information is no longer available in the Detail Subscriber Lookup tool or in any NLAD reports.
The service initiation date is no longer an editable field, even when there is a change in service type. Updates to the service initiation date will require first de-enrolling then re-enrolling the subscriber.
One New API Error Code Added:
One API Error Code Description Updated:
Five API Error Codes Removed:
Questions about NLAD?
If you have questions about NLAD, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
NLAD 3.14.0 Production Release
The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) will be unavailable due to a scheduled deployment starting Sunday, March 18 at 3 p.m. ET. The deployment will take approximately 3 hours to complete and both the pre-production and production environments will not be available during this time.
During this release, all existing port freeze errors will be removed from NLAD. Users will no longer see error message indicating that the subscriber is in a 60-day or 12-month port freeze or that they do not qualify for an "R"- code exception.
The service initiation date will no longer be an editable field, even when there is a change in service type. Updates to the service initiation date will require first de-enrolling then re-enrolling the subscriber.
One new API Error Code Added:
One API Error Code Description Updated:
Five API Error Codes Removed:
Port freeze information will be removed from all reports and from the Detail Active Subscriber lookup. Users will receive an error if they attempt to submit an exception request that includes a port freeze related error after the release.
Prior to the release, USAC will review and approve (as applicable) as many port freeze resolution requests as possible. Any port freeze resolution requests that are not approved prior to the release will be "closed-rejected".
If you notice resolution requests that were closed rejected after the release, and you did not expect that outcome, please review if they included a port freeze resolution. If so, please attempt to enroll, transfer, or update the subscriber again to generate a new resolution ID, and then submit the new resolution ID.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have questions, contact us NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
The Lifeline Program's port freeze rule will be eliminated effective March 19, 2018.
On that date, port freezes will be eliminated from NLAD processes and any customers in a port freeze will have the restrictions removed. USAC will release a notice to NLAD users via the NLAD Bulletin once the restrictions have been removed. USAC will not implement any administrative port freeze.
The Lifeline Program's webinar topics for April and May are now available. Join us at a webinar session to hear updates and receive training about the Lifeline Program. You can receive invitations to upcoming webinar sessions via email by subscribing to the Lifeline Program Newsletter.
Lifeline Program Webinar (April): Eligibility Checking
This session will provide an overview of the process to verify a customer's eligibility for Lifeline before providing the discount. This includes the qualifying eligibility programs, household income, acceptable proof-of-eligibility documentation, and requirements for the application form.
Lifeline Program Webinar (May): Universal Consumer Forms
This month's session will discuss the Lifeline Program's universal consumer forms - FCC Forms 5629, 5630, and 5631 - which all service providers are required to use in all states and territories by July 1, 2018. If you have questions about the universal consumer forms that you would like us to address during the webinar, please enter them on the webinar registration form or submit them via email.
We hope you can join us for tomorrow's webinar session, NLAD 101: Introduction to the National Lifeline Accountability Database. Recordings of past webinars, including last month's topic, "Lifeline 101," are available on the Learn: Webinars page of our website.
While we encourage applicants to complete and certify their FCC Form 471 early, we realize that last-minute questions can arise. This year, we are publishing the extra hours the Client Service Bureau (CSB) will be open during the last week of the window to allow applicants to take advantage of the opportunity to get answers to those last-minute questions.
Date | CSB Open | CSB Close |
Saturday, March 17 | 9:00 a.m. EDT | 6:00 p.m. EDT |
Sunday, March 18 | 9:00 a.m. EDT | 6:00 p.m. EDT |
Monday, March 19 | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 10:00 p.m. EDT |
Tuesday, March 20 | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 10:00 p.m.EDT |
Wednesday, March 21 | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 10:00 p.m. EDT |
Thursday, March 22 | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 12:30 a.m.EDT (Friday, March 23) |
Generally, CSB has the highest call volumes during the following
hours:
If an agent is not able to answer when you call,
please leave your telephone number at the prompt, and we will return your
call as soon as possible.
FY2017
Funding Requests: Update Coming Soon
In
upcoming weeks, you will receive an update about your FY2017 funding commitment
from the RHC Program. To ensure you receive all communications regarding your
FY2017 funding request, please check your spam folders and make sure that your
email inbox allows messages from the RHC Program. RHC will communicate any
updates via the email addresses the applicant has submitted in MyPortal. FY2017
funding commitment decisions and letters have not yet been released; funding
requests are still in review. This page will be
updated when more information is available.
Recommended
Submission Milestones Approaching
To ensure
that you stay on track with your forms and are able to submit your funding
request before the FY2018 filing window closes, USAC has developed recommended
submission milestones for all HCF and Telecom program forms. These milestones
account for both the minimum competitive bidding time required under RHC
Program rules and time for USAC review:
Please note
that these are suggested submission dates and not deadlines enforced by RHC
Program rules. View all the recommended submission milestones
for FY2018.
FY2018
Filing Window Closes May 31, 2018
The
FY2018 filing window opened February 1, 2018. To be considered eligible for
funding, you must submit your funding requests (FCC Forms 462 for the HCF
Program and FCC Forms 466 in the Telecom Program) by the close of the window on
May 31, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Funding requests submitted after May 31, 2018
will be automatically denied. View our how-to guides and tip sheets to assist
you during the submission process:
Read more
about funding requests:
Important
Reminders for FY2018
New to the
program? Watch RHC 101: Are you a new applicant getting
ready to apply to the RHC Program? Watch our webinar “RHC 101: An Introduction to the
Rural Health Care Program” to learn the basics of the HCF and
Telecom programs, eligibility requirements, and how to get started.
New Tip Sheet! Consortium Rurality Percentage
Compliance: According to HCF Program rules, a consortium must be greater
than 50% rural three years after the submission of the consortium’s first FCC
Form 462 (funding request form). To make sure you are in compliance with
program rules as your consortium’s three year deadline approaches, download
this tip sheet.
What to
Do If You Receive and Information Request: As you
submit your FCC Form 462 or 466, please upload all required documentation with
your forms. Forms submitted with incomplete or missing documentation cannot be
reviewed, and RHC analysts will reach out to account holders with a request for
additional information (an “Information Request”). RHC will also reach out with
Information Requests to clarify specific items related to an application. If
you receive an Information Request, you must respond to it within 14 calendar
days. Once you respond, the analysts will be happy to work with you to ensure
that they have all the necessary documentation to complete their review.
Failure to respond in some fashion within the 14 calendar day time frame
results in an automatic denial, so be sure to meet that deadline!
LOA/TPAs Must Be Up to Date
In order
to be considered eligible for funding in FY2018, Letters of Agency (LOA)
and Third Party Authorizations
(TPA) must be
up to date through a minimum of Funding Year 2018. Be especially mindful if you
are an HCP using a consultant, a consortium leader, or a consultant filing on
behalf of a consortium leader. Before submitting a form, please check to ensure
your authorization documents are up to date.
FCC Forms 462 and 466 submitted with expired LOAs or TPAs will
result in applicants receiving Information Requests.
USAC has implemented fixes intended to improve system performance since notifying carriers of the intermittent connectivity issues last week. Response times have returned to normal, but we are continuing to monitor the system.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
The 2018 FCC Form 499-A (Annual Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is now available in E-File, USAC's online filing system. The form is due Monday, April 2, 2018.
FCC rules require all providers of telecommunications, including universal service fund de minimis exempt companies, to file 2018 FCC Form 499-A to report revenue data for the period of January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017.
Visit our What and How to File page to learn more or view the FCC Form 499-A online user guide .
In order DA 17-984, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provided certain relief from program deadlines for program participants impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria (Hurricanes).
Specifically, schools and libraries located in areas of Texas, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands that have been designated as Major Disaster Areas eligible for Individual Assistance for the purposes of federal disaster relief by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have a deadline of Monday, March 5, 2018 to submit invoices if they missed or will miss their regular invoice deadline due to damage or disruption caused by the Hurricanes.
While other program forms and requests are subject to this deadline as well, applicants are reminded that they need a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to file the FCC Form 472, Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) Form. If you do not have a PIN, we will create and email you a PIN in time to file your invoice as long as we receive your request by noon EST tomorrow, March 2, 2018.
To request a PIN:
• Open a customer service case in EPC.
• Download the PIN Template from the PIN page on the USAC website, even if you only need one PIN.
• Complete a line on the template for each PIN you are requesting. Avoid adding a space at the beginning or end of each of your entries, and double-check your entries for accuracy.
• Attach the completed template to your customer service case and click Submit.
You can also call the Client Service Bureau (CSB) at 888-203-8100 for assistance.
RESOLVED - The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) is back online and available for use.
USAC took NLAD offline for one hour today from 1:00 PM ET to 2:00 PM ET to resolve intermittent issues.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your patience.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) is experiencing intermittent login disruptions.
USAC is working to resolve the issue, and we will communicate as soon as it has been resolved.
In the meantime, users should close any open NLAD pages and clear their browser's cache before attempting to log in to NLAD again.
If you are still unable to login, please email NLADSupport@usac.org and provide your browser and its version. Please also include if your browser uses a default setting for NLAD, if the cookies are disabled, or if any specific settings or plugins for NLAD exist.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
The Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program legacy systems will be unavailable from 6:00 PM ET on Friday, February 23 through 10:00 AM ET Saturday, February 24 for system maintenance. During this time, users will be unable to file invoices and use some of the search tools. We apologize for any inconvenience.
NOTE: The E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) will not be affected by this maintenance.
NLAD 3.13.0 Production and Pre-Production Release
NLAD version 3.13.0 was released into the production environment today, February 21.
In this release, NLAD users are no longer able to provide Benefit Qualifying Person (BQP) information when the subscriber personally qualifies for Lifeline. Users will receive an error if data entered into the BQP fields exactly matched the information entered into the subscriber fields. This functionality was previously released into the pre-production environment.
In addition, USAC's TPIV service was turned back on in the pre-production environment after it was temporarily disabled for testing the new Lifeline Claims System.
New API Error Code Added
Rescheduled System Maintenance Friday, February 23
The National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) will be unavailable due to scheduled system maintenance starting Friday, February 23 at 10 p.m. until Saturday, February 24 at 2 a.m. ET.
The NLAD pre-production and production environments will not be available for use during this time.
For a full calendar list of scheduled maintenance, visit the Maintenance Schedule page on the Lifeline Program website.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
On February 20, 2018, the FCC released Public Notice DA 18-161, which provides guidance about using universal forms for the Lifeline Program. Lifeline service providers are required to use the universal forms beginning July 1, 2018
The universal forms, FCC Form 5629 (Lifeline application form), FCC Form 5630 (Lifeline annual recertification form), and FCC Form 5631 (Lifeline Program household worksheet) are available on the Lifeline Program Forms page.LCS version 2.1.0 was released into the NLAD Production environment today, February 20.
In this release, a Filing History tab was added that allows ETCs to access their certified Lifeline Claims Worksheet PDFs.
LCS users that have both NLAD and NLAD opt-out states' SACs will need to submit original filings and revisions for each data set in LCS.
Please refer to the instructions, which are also available in the Lifeline Claims System, and the LCS Upload Validation Rules for details on how to complete the input template.
How to Log In to the Lifeline Claims System
LCS users will log in through the NLAD Production environment to access the Lifeline Claims System. The LCS landing page will differ depending on a user's E-File entitlements (please refer to the bulletin sent on 2/20 for the E-File entitlements and corresponding landing page).
Questions about LCS?
If you have questions, contact us at Form497@usac.org.
The February 2018 issue of Lifeline Program News is now available. Sign up to receive the newsletter by email in the Subscription Center.
February Headlines:
NLAD version 3.12.0 has been released into the pre-production environment todayThursday, February 8, 2018.
In this release, NLAD users are no longer able to provide Benefit Qualifying Person (BQP) information when the subscriber personally qualifies for Lifeline. Users will receive an error if data entered into the BQP fields exactly matches the information entered into the subscriber fields.
New API Error Code Added
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.
Update on
FY2017 Commitments
FY2017
funding commitment decisions and letters have not yet been released; funding
requests are still in review. This page will be
updated when more information is available. Note: Any applicants seeking
funding in FY2018 must submit funding requests. Be sure to submit during the
FY2018 filing window (February 1 - May 31, 2018).
FY2018
Filing Window Open Now!
The
FY2018 filing window opens today, February 1, 2018. To be considered eligible
for funding, you must submit your funding requests (FCC Forms 462 for the HCF
Program and FCC Forms 466 in the Telecom Program) by the close of the window on
May 31, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Funding requests submitted after May 31, 2018
will be automatically denied. View our latest how-to guides and tip sheets to
assist you during the submission process:
Were
these resources helpful? Let us know what you think by completing this short survey.
Read more about funding requests:
Important
Reminders for FY2018
Rural
Rate Documentation in the Telecom Program
We have
received some questions surrounding who can provide documentation to USAC
regarding the rural rate calculation. Please keep in mind, HCPs are ultimately
responsible for ensuring that all required information in support of their
applications is included in the funding request submission. USAC strongly
advises that all required documentation, including information in
support of the rural rate calculation, accompany an application when filed to
USAC. However, if the service provider deems such information proprietary or
confidential, and therefore cannot provide this required documentation to the
HCP for filing with USAC, the service provider can submit those documents
directly to USAC. Please see further down for instructions.
If the HCP does not submit the rural rate documentation to USAC,
USAC will issue an Information Request to the HCP. More details on Information
Requests are below in the next section. The HCP then has the responsibility to
forward that Information Request to their service provider, at which point the
service provider can then reply to the Information Request directly to USAC
with the relevant documents, making sure to include the funding request number
(FRN) for which they are submitting.
When submitting Information Request responses to USAC, the
service provider must:
Information
Requests
As we
move into FY2018, the RHC Program staff wants to provide you with the resources
and information necessary to submit complete and accurate forms successfully.
An important reminder as you submit your FCC Form 462 or 466, please upload all
required documentation with your forms. Forms submitted with incomplete or
missing documentation cannot be reviewed, and RHC reviewers will reach out to
account holders with a request for additional information (an “Information
Request”). RHC will also reach out with Information Requests to clarify
specific items related to an application.
If you receive an Information Request, you must respond to it
within 14 calendar days. An acceptable response is either (1) the information
requested or (2) a request for an extension. If the information requested
is submitted to USAC by the service provider please follow the previously
stated guidance above. Once you respond, the reviewers will be happy to
work with you to ensure that they have all the necessary documentation to
complete their review. Failure to respond in some fashion within the 14
calendar day timeframe results in an automatic denial, so be sure to respond in
a timely manner! Note: If the service provider submits the information
requested to USAC, please follow the previuosly stated guidance above.)
LOA/TPAs Must Be Up to Date
In order
to be considered eligible for funding in FY2018, Letters of Agency (LOA)
and Third Party Authorizations
(TPA) must be
up to date through a minimum of Funding Year 2018. Be especially mindful if you
are an HCP using a consultant, a consortium leader, or a consultant filing on
behalf of a consortium leader. Before submitting a form, please check to ensure
your authorization documents are up to date.
FCC Forms 462 and 466 submitted with expired LOAs or TPAs will
result in applicants receiving Information Requests.
Have an
expired TPA and have questions on what to do?
Have an
expired LOA and have questions on what to do?
FY2018
Contracts
For
either the HCF or Telecom programs--as you go through the competitive bidding
process and select your service provider, make sure that you are meeting the
appropriate contract requirements for the type of funding you are seeking
(i.e., single year, multi-year, evergreen contract), and that the contract is signed
by both the HCP/consortium and service provider.
FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making Comment
Period Ends February 2
The FCC
published their proposed rule in the Federal Register on January 3, 2018.
Anyone can submit a comment to the FCC on this proposed rule. The comment
period ends February 2, 2018, with reply comments due March 5, 2018. Please see
this link for more
information.
Contract & Consortia Resources Coming
Soon!
The Lifeline Claims System (LCS) is now available in the NLAD production environment. Service providers can log in to submit their reimbursement claims for the January 2018 data month (February 1, 2018 snapshot).
Service providers cannot use FCC Form 497 for the January 2018 data month or later.
For help with the LCS, join us for Office Hours (Feb. 2 or Feb. 6), review the LCS User Guide, visit the Claim Reimbursement page, or review the frequently asked questions (FAQs).
The Lifeline Claims System (LCS) will be unavailable on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 from 10 a.m. to noon ET.
LCS version 2.0.0 will be released into the NLAD Production environment during this outage. The available snapshot test data for the November 2017 and December 2017 months will also be discarded during this time.
The Lifeline Claims System will be available at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, February 1, 2018.
Starting with the January 2018 data month (February 1, 2018 snapshot), all service providers must use the new Lifeline Claims System (LCS) to file for reimbursement online.
For the December 2017 data month (January 1, 2018 snapshot) and earlier, service providers should use the FCC Form 497 for reimbursement claims and revisions.
LCS includes the following functionalities for NLAD states and NLAD opt-out states:
1. File "Original Claim" and "Revise Claim" functionality (applicable to the 497 Officer and the 497 User)
2. "Certify Claim" functionality for NLAD Opt-Out States (applicable to the 497 Officer)
LCS users that have both NLAD and NLAD opt-out states' SACs will need to submit original filings and revisions for each data set in LCS.
Please refer to the instructions, which are also available in the Lifeline Claims System, and the LCS Upload Field Description document (found in the bulletin sent on 1/30/18) for details on how to complete the input template.
How to Log In to the Lifeline Claims System
LCS users will log in through the NLAD Production environment to access the Lifeline Claims System. The LCS landing page will differ depending on a user's E-File entitlements.
E-File Entitlements
497 Officer: 497 Officer home page - National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD)
497 User: File or Revise Claim page - Lifeline Claims System (LCS)
Questions about LCS?
If you have questions about LCS, please contact us at Form497@usac.org.
The 2017 FCC Form 555 (Annual Lifeline ETC Certification Form) is due Wednesday, January 31, 2018 to USAC, the FCC (Docket 14-171), and state regulatory commissions.
Log in now: Online FCC Form 555 (USAC recommends using Chrome or Firefox)
Need help? See the resources below or contact us
E-File login help: customersupport@usac.org or (888) 641-8722
FCC Form 555 Resources
Visit the Lifeline Program website to find these FCC Form 555 resources:
Changes This Year
The 2017 filing (due January 31, 2018) has several notable changes since last year's filing:
Need Help? Contact Us!
For questions about FCC Form 555, please contact us at Form555@usac.org.
FCC Form 555 is due January 31 to USAC, the FCC, and state regulatory commissions.
A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) is available to assist with your filing. Additional resources are available as well:
California service providers: We have communicated with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and the requirement to file FCC Form 555 has not changed. It is the service provider's responsibility to file FCC Form 555, and not the state administrators'.
It is our understanding from the CPUC that service providers have the information they need to file FCC Form 555. Please stay tuned for more information from the CPUC.
Texas service providers: If you don't have the data you need from the state administrator, please submit your filing by the January 31 deadline with whatever data you have. Then, submit a revision once the state administrator provides the data you need.
Did you know that the funding request filing window for Funding Year 2018 opens February 1, 2018? Submit your funding requests (FCC Forms 462 for the HCF Program and FCC Forms 466 in the Telecom Program) by the close of the window on May 31, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Here are some how-to guides and tip sheets that can assist you during the submission process:
Read more about funding requests, which applicants must submit to USAC between February 1 and May 31, 2018 in order to be considered eligible for funding:
The following videos have been added to the Online Learning Library:
The Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program legacy systems will be unavailable from 6:00 PM ET on Friday, January 19 through 10:00 AM ET Saturday, January 20 for system maintenance. During this time, users will be unable to file invoices and use some of the search tools. We apologize for any inconvenience.
NOTE: The E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) will not be affected by this maintenance.
The January 2018 issue of Lifeline Program News is now available. Sign up to receive the newsletter by email in the Subscription Center.
January Headlines:
LCS version 0.6.0 was released into the NLAD Pre-production environment today, January 17.
In this release, the features below were included:
PDF link that shows filing support details for all SAC(s) with status types, "Ready to Certify" and "Certified"
LCS users that have both NLAD and NLAD opt-out states' SACs will need to submit original filings and revisions for each data set in LCS.
Please refer to the instructions in the Lifeline Claims System for guidance on how to use the NLAD opt-out state filing features.
How to Log In to the Lifeline Claims System
LCS users will log in through the NLAD Pre-production environment to access the Lifeline Claims System. The LCS landing page will differ depending on a user's E-File entitlements.
Please see the related bulletin sent on Jan. 18 to view a chart of the E-File entitlements and accompanying landing page.
Questions about LCS?
If you have any questions about this system, please contact us at Form497@usac.org.
Did you know that the funding request filing window period for FY2018 opens February 1, 2018? Prepare to submit your funding request by the close of the filing window period (11:59 p.m. ET May 31, 2018) by watching our one hour training where we discussed helpful tips, resources, what you can expect from USAC’s review process, and best practices when submitting these forms.
On January 10, 2018, the FCC released Public Notice DA 18-30, providing guidance on the Lifeline reimbursement payment process based on National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) data.
The Public Notices describes the process for making reimbursement claims for the January 2018 data month (and going forward) using the new Lifeline Claims System (log in using USAC's E-File system).
The following Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program legacy systems will be unavailable from 6:00-10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 10 for system maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience.
NOTE: The E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) will not be affected by this maintenance.
FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making Published January 3, 2018
The FCC published their proposed rule in the Federal Register on January 3, 2018. Anyone can submit a comment to the FCC on this proposed rule. The comment period ends February 2, 2018. Please see this link for more information.
Update on FY2017 Commitments
FY2017 funding commitment decisions and letters have not yet been released; funding requests are still in review. This page will be updated when more information is available. Note: Any applicants seeking funding in FY2018 must submit funding requests. Be sure to submit during the FY2018 filing window (February 1 – May 31, 2018).
FY2018 Filing Window Period Update
The filing window period for FY2018 has been extended one month. The filing window period will now last February 1, 2018 through May 31, 2018, giving applicants more time to submit their FY2018 funding request forms. For more information please see our FY2018 Filing Window page here.
Submit FY2018 Request for Services Forms Now!
Applicants applying for funding for FY2018 who are going through the competitive bidding process can submit their FCC Form 461 (HCF Program) and FCC Form 465 (Telecom Program) now! The first day to submit these forms is January 1, 2018-- six months before the start of the funding year, which begins July 1, 2018.
Prepare to submit your Request for Services form with the following resources:
• December 2017 Request for Services Best Practices Webinar recording and slides
• RFP Checklist (HCF Program only)
• Network Plan Checklist (HCF Program only)
• Search Posted Services tool: HCF Program and Telecom Program
Rollover of FY2017 HCF Program FCC Forms 461
This year’s rollover functionality is a courtesy extended to HCF applicants who completed the Request for Services process, but did not meet the deadline to submit Funding Request forms.
This is a one-time courtesy that, as of now, has not been extended for future funding years. To take advantage of this, those requesting the FCC Form 461 from FY2017 rollover functionality must meet the below requirements. The FCC Form 461 must meet both criteria:
• HAVE been submitted for FY2017, and previously reviewed and approved by RHC in FY2017, and
• NOT have been used to generate an FCC Form 462 in FY2017
The rollover process will only be applied to the FCC Form 461, and not the FCC Form 462. If applying for HCF Program funding in FY2018, applicants will need to submit a new FCC Form 462 and will have to go through the RHC Program review process.
How to submit your request:
• Send email to: rhc-assist@usac.org
• Subject line of email: FCC Form 461 Rollover Request App #
• Include within the email body: HCP #, FCC Form 461 application #
• Once emailed, the rollover request may take 5-8 business days to review and process.
• If approved, your request will be confirmed via email from an RHC staff member.
Upcoming Trainings
We highly recommend attending the next installment of our online training series, specifically designed to prepare applicants for the FY2018 filing window. These trainings are filled with resources, useful information, best practices, what to expect from the USAC review process.
• Funding Request Webinar: Wednesday January 10, 2018 at 2 p.m. ET. Did you know that the first day to submit FY2018 funding request forms is February 1, 2018? Join us in preparation for the FY2018 filing window period. This webinar will focus on the FCC Forms 462 and 466: Register here.
Possible NLAD Outage on Friday
The National Accountability Lifeline Database (NLAD) may be temporarily unavailable for 2-3 minutes tomorrow, January 5 between 8 to 8:30 p.m. ET due to system maintenance.
Both the pre-production and production environments could be affected.
Questions about NLAD?
If you have any questions, contact us at NLADSupport@usac.org or (877) 524-1325.