February 19, 2026
SAM.gov Requirement for E-Rate Invoicing
Beginning August 2026, USAC will begin using SAM.gov banking information to remit payment for all Universal Service Fund (USF) requests for reimbursement. All E-Rate service providers and E-Rate applicants who use the FCC Form 472/BEAR invoicing method must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) on their FCC Form 498 and register for an active SAM.gov account. You must have a valid bank account associated with your SAM.gov account. If you don’t already have a UEI or an active SAM.gov account, begin the process early because it can take six to eight weeks to verify the UEI and the SAM.gov account. For more information, see the SAM.gov Entity Registration webpage or the USAC SAM.gov UEI Requirement webpage. Please also note that you must renew your SAM.gov account on an annual basis. You will not be able to receive USF reimbursements if your SAM.gov account is inactive once the transition to SAM.gov for banking information goes live. As a reminder, USAC will also stop using and collecting banking information on the FCC Form 498 as part of this transition.
February 19, 2026
EPC Update for BMIC Selection
Due to the recent BMIC change in the 2026 Eligible Services List, applicants may file for certain services previously classified as BMIC under FCC Forms 470 for Internal Connections (IC). However, users may notice that the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) does not allow them to select a BMIC-only FCC Form 470 on a Category Two (C2) FCC Form 471 for IC. USAC will release a fix today (February 19, 2026, at 9 p.m.) that will resolve this issue. Applicants who already have a draft FCC Form 471 can continue to work on the draft they started. After the deployment, applicants will be able to return to their FCC Form 471 draft, select the proper FCC Form 470, and resume drafting the form. If you have already submitted an FCC Form 471 and want to change the FCC Form 470 you cited, submit a Receipt Acknowledgement Letter (RAL) Modification Request.
Use the RAL Modification Request to Update Certified FCC Form 471 Information
USAC issues an FCC Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL) to both the applicant and service provider(s) in EPC after an FCC Form 471 application is certified. The letter contains many of the details submitted on the FCC Form 471 and provides a means to correct any errors or mistakes. If you were not able to make all the appropriate updates to your profile in EPC before the close of the EPC FCC Form 471 administrative window, you can provide updated profile information by filing a RAL Modification Request after submitting and certifying your FCC Form 471 application(s), but before you receive funding commitment decision letter(s).
Applicants receive the RAL in their EPC News feed after certifying an FCC Form 471. The RAL modification function in EPC allows you to provide specific information in an organized format, which makes it easier for PIA reviewers to locate and understand the changes you want to make. Go to the Ministerial & Clerical Errors page to see the types of changes that are allowed and not allowed for the FCC Form 471. To learn how to submit modification requests for your FCC Form(s) 471, you can also view the FCC Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter Modification Guide.
February 19, 2026
E-Rate In-Person Trainings & Conferences
USAC is coming to an event near you in 2026. E-Rate experts will provide training, discuss program updates, and answer questions from new and experienced participants. USAC will announce when registration for these two in-person training events opens. Below are events that we will attend where we can answer your E-Rate questions.
E-Rate In-Person Trainings
- Phoenix, AZ: September 15, 2026
- Washington, DC: September 24, 2026
Conferences
- Computers in Libraries Conference 2026: March 17-19, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. Event Link.
- Public Libraries Association (PLA) 2026 Conference: April 1-3, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Event Link.
- Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) 2026 Conference: April 13-15, 2026 in Chicago. Event Link.
February 19, 2026
Service Provider Webinar
The Service Provider Webinar will be on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. E.T. This webinar is for Service Providers who are new to the E-Rate program. After attending this webinar, you will be able to: accurately describe what E-Rate is and the different steps of the E-Rate process, obtain a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN), bid on projects, assist the applicant/beneficiary, certify compliance, and invoice USAC. Before attending this webinar, please review the E-Rate Program Overview webinar for a deeper understanding of the program. Register.
