Glossary of Terms

Terms	Program	Definitions
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, High Cost, Service Providers	An FCC proposal for new rules or changes to existing rules. Following the issuance of an NPRM, the FCC will seek public comments on the proposal.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)	E-Rate, High Cost, Service Providers	Part of the Executive Office of the President, OMB reviews and approves FCC forms that are used by USF contributors and universal service program participants, contributors, and service providers.
One Portal	USAC General, E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	USAC’s single sign-on online dashboard for accessing systems such as EPC, the National Verifier, NLAD, LCS, and RAD, as well as the E-File forms submission tool and many invoicing functions. Certain payment processes are also handled through One Portal. Accessible at https://forms.universalservice.org/portal/login.
Open Data	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	A web portal with datasets and tools available for universal service program data. Users can view, search, filter, and manipulate the data in each dataset and extract that data in a variety of formats. Users can also extract data via API calls. Accessible at https://opendata.usac.org/.
Operational SPIN Change	E-Rate	A change by an E-Rate applicant to the service provider on one or more FRNs as a result of a change in the service provider providing the services. Visit the E-Rate program’s Operational SPIN Changes page for additional information.
Payment Quality Assurance (PQA) Program	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	A USAC program that assesses payments made to universal service support recipients to determine if the payments were made in accordance with FCC rules. Following these assessments, USAC estimates improper payment rates and provides this information to the FCC.
Preparer	E-Rate, High Cost, Service Providers	The employee of a telecommunications company that filed FCC Form 499-A/Q who has access to submit and modify data in USAC’s E-File system.
Pricing Transparency	E-Rate	Provides greater visibility into pricing and technology choices by applicants. Information and pricing regarding the specific services and equipment purchased by schools and libraries are publicly available on USAC’s website.
Program Integrity Assurance (PIA)	E-Rate	The E-Rate program’s process for reviewing FCC Forms 471 to ensure compliance with FCC and program rules. These reviews must be completed before USAC makes funding commitments. USAC sends all communications about PIA through EPC. For additional information about E-Rate’s PIA process, visit the program’s Application Review page.
Public Notice (PN)	E-Rate, High Cost, Service Providers	A notice issued by the FCC alerting the public of an action taken, a change made, or an upcoming event. PNs are used to announce NOIs, NPRMs, and FNPRMs (Further Notices of Proposed Rulemaking).
Quarterly Disbursement Report	E-Rate	A report issued by USAC to E-Rate applicants detailing all invoicing activity for all funding years that occurred during the previous quarter.
Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL)	E-Rate	A letter sent to E-Rate applicants and service providers indicating that a filed FCC Form 471 has been certified. The RAL provides means to correct any mistakes before the FCC Form 471 undergoes PIA review. Visit the E-Rate program’s FCC Form 471 Filing page for additional information.
Recovery of Improperly Disbursed Funds (RIDF)	E-Rate	A letter sent to impacted parties seeking to recover disbursed funds. A RIDF letter is issued when the original approved commitment is correct, but funds were disbursed in error. If no action is taken, demand payment letters will follow providing an opportunity to return the funds. Visit the E-Rate program’s Commitment Adjustment page for additional information.
Red Light Rule	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	A requirement that the FCC withhold action on a universal service support application, payment, and/or other requests for benefits when the universal service program participant is delinquent in non-tax debts owed to the FCC or other federal agencies. This rule requires that USAC suspend support to any entity that shares a Tax Identification Number with a company that has a delinquent debt. See also Red Light Status.
Red Light Status	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	The status of an entity deemed to have violated the Red Light Rule. USAC will not make any disbursements until the entity’s delinquency is satisfied, payment arrangements are made, or the Red Light Status is otherwise resolved. See also Red Light Rule.
Remand	E-Rate	Action taken by the FCC to return applications to USAC for further review.
Request for Proposal (RFP)	E-Rate, Rural Health Care	A formal bidding document describing a project and/or requested services in sufficient detail so that potential bidders understand the scope, location, and any other requirements. In the E-Rate and RHC programs, applicants are required to submit an RFP with their universal service support applications under certain conditions. Visit the E-Rate program’s Competitive Bidding page for additional detail.
Revised Funding Commitment Decision Letter (RFCDL)	E-Rate	A letter USAC issues to E-Rate applicants and service providers when changes to a funding commitment occur, such as the result of an appeal.
School or Library Official	E-Rate	A person who occupies a position of authority for an E-Rate applicant and is responsible for certifying that the information provided on the FCC Form 498 is true, accurate, and complete. This role typically falls to a superintendent, principal, library director, or other administrator and cannot be assigned to a consultant.
Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program (Pilot Program)	E-Rate	A three-year, $200 million FCC program that will evaluate the effectiveness of using Universal Service funding to support cybersecurity services and equipment to protect school and library broadband networks and data. Open to schools, libraries, and consortia of schools and libraries that meet the E-Rate program’s eligibility requirements, the Cybersecurity Pilot Program accepted applications in 2024 and announced the applicants selected to participate in early 2025.
Selective Review	E-Rate	A component of the E-Rate program’s PIA review that follows up on certifications that applicants make on their FCC Forms 471 about the competitive bidding process and the necessary resources to make effective use of requested services. See also Program Integrity Assurance.
Selective Review Information Request (SRIR)	E-Rate	A request for information sent to E-Rate applicants when they have been chosen for Selective Review. See also Selective Review.
Service End Date	E-Rate, Rural Health Care	The date that services will end for an FRN. Also referred to as Service Delivery Deadline, this date aligns with the end of the funding year (June 30) for which support is sought. USAC may adjust this date if it identifies a program violation or a missed deadline.
Service Provider	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	A telecommunications company that participates in at least one of the four universal service programs and provides voice or internet services, equipment, hardware, or software. Types of companies include but are not limited to: competitive access/competitive local exchange carriers (cellular, personal communications, or specialized mobile radio providers), incumbent local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers, internet service providers, interconnected VoIP providers, local resellers (coaxial cable, non-traditional, operator, paging, messaging, payphone, prepaid card, private, and satellite service providers), shared-tenant service providers or building local exchange carriers, SMR (dispatch), toll resellers, or wireless data providers.
Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN)	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	See 498 ID/Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN).

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)

E-Rate, Rural Health Care, High Cost, Service Providers

An FCC proposal for new rules or changes to existing rules. Following the issuance of an NPRM, the FCC will seek public comments on the proposal.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

E-Rate, High Cost, Service Providers

Part of the Executive Office of the President, OMB reviews and approves FCC forms that are used by USF contributors and universal service program participants, contributors, and service providers.

One Portal

USAC General, E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers

USAC’s single sign-on online dashboard for accessing systems such as EPC, the National Verifier, NLAD, LCS, and RAD, as well as the E-File forms submission tool and many invoicing functions. Certain payment processes are also handled through One Portal. Accessible at https://forms.universalservice.org/portal/login.

Open Data

E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers

A web portal with datasets and tools available for universal service program data. Users can view, search, filter, and manipulate the data in each dataset and extract that data in a variety of formats. Users can also extract data via API calls. Accessible at https://opendata.usac.org/.

Operational SPIN Change

E-Rate

A change by an E-Rate applicant to the service provider on one or more FRNs as a result of a change in the service provider providing the services. Visit the E-Rate program’s Operational SPIN Changes page for additional information.

Payment Quality Assurance (PQA) Program

E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers

A USAC program that assesses payments made to universal service support recipients to determine if the payments were made in accordance with FCC rules. Following these assessments, USAC estimates improper payment rates and provides this information to the FCC.

Preparer

E-Rate, High Cost, Service Providers

The employee of a telecommunications company that filed FCC Form 499-A/Q who has access to submit and modify data in USAC’s E-File system.

Pricing Transparency

E-Rate

Provides greater visibility into pricing and technology choices by applicants. Information and pricing regarding the specific services and equipment purchased by schools and libraries are publicly available on USAC’s website.

Program Integrity Assurance (PIA)

E-Rate

The E-Rate program’s process for reviewing FCC Forms 471 to ensure compliance with FCC and program rules. These reviews must be completed before USAC makes funding commitments. USAC sends all communications about PIA through EPC. For additional information about E-Rate’s PIA process, visit the program’s Application Review page.

Public Notice (PN)

E-Rate, High Cost, Service Providers

A notice issued by the FCC alerting the public of an action taken, a change made, or an upcoming event. PNs are used to announce NOIs, NPRMs, and FNPRMs (Further Notices of Proposed Rulemaking).

Quarterly Disbursement Report

E-Rate

A report issued by USAC to E-Rate applicants detailing all invoicing activity for all funding years that occurred during the previous quarter.

Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL)

E-Rate

A letter sent to E-Rate applicants and service providers indicating that a filed FCC Form 471 has been certified. The RAL provides means to correct any mistakes before the FCC Form 471 undergoes PIA review. Visit the E-Rate program’s FCC Form 471 Filing page for additional information.

Recovery of Improperly Disbursed Funds (RIDF)

E-Rate

A letter sent to impacted parties seeking to recover disbursed funds. A RIDF letter is issued when the original approved commitment is correct, but funds were disbursed in error. If no action is taken, demand payment letters will follow providing an opportunity to return the funds. Visit the E-Rate program’s Commitment Adjustment page for additional information.

Red Light Rule

E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers

A requirement that the FCC withhold action on a universal service support application, payment, and/or other requests for benefits when the universal service program participant is delinquent in non-tax debts owed to the FCC or other federal agencies. This rule requires that USAC suspend support to any entity that shares a Tax Identification Number with a company that has a delinquent debt. See also Red Light Status.

Red Light Status

E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers

The status of an entity deemed to have violated the Red Light Rule. USAC will not make any disbursements until the entity’s delinquency is satisfied, payment arrangements are made, or the Red Light Status is otherwise resolved. See also Red Light Rule.

Remand

E-Rate

Action taken by the FCC to return applications to USAC for further review.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

E-Rate, Rural Health Care

A formal bidding document describing a project and/or requested services in sufficient detail so that potential bidders understand the scope, location, and any other requirements. In the E-Rate and RHC programs, applicants are required to submit an RFP with their universal service support applications under certain conditions. Visit the E-Rate program’s Competitive Bidding page for additional detail.

Revised Funding Commitment Decision Letter (RFCDL)

E-Rate

A letter USAC issues to E-Rate applicants and service providers when changes to a funding commitment occur, such as the result of an appeal.

School or Library Official

E-Rate

A person who occupies a position of authority for an E-Rate applicant and is responsible for certifying that the information provided on the FCC Form 498 is true, accurate, and complete. This role typically falls to a superintendent, principal, library director, or other administrator and cannot be assigned to a consultant.

Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program (Pilot Program)

E-Rate

A three-year, $200 million FCC program that will evaluate the effectiveness of using Universal Service funding to support cybersecurity services and equipment to protect school and library broadband networks and data. Open to schools, libraries, and consortia of schools and libraries that meet the E-Rate program’s eligibility requirements, the Cybersecurity Pilot Program accepted applications in 2024 and announced the applicants selected to participate in early 2025.

Selective Review

E-Rate

A component of the E-Rate program’s PIA review that follows up on certifications that applicants make on their FCC Forms 471 about the competitive bidding process and the necessary resources to make effective use of requested services. See also Program Integrity Assurance.

Selective Review Information Request (SRIR)

E-Rate

A request for information sent to E-Rate applicants when they have been chosen for Selective Review. See also Selective Review.

Service End Date

E-Rate, Rural Health Care

The date that services will end for an FRN. Also referred to as Service Delivery Deadline, this date aligns with the end of the funding year (June 30) for which support is sought. USAC may adjust this date if it identifies a program violation or a missed deadline.

Service Provider

E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers

A telecommunications company that participates in at least one of the four universal service programs and provides voice or internet services, equipment, hardware, or software. Types of companies include but are not limited to: competitive access/competitive local exchange carriers (cellular, personal communications, or specialized mobile radio providers), incumbent local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers, internet service providers, interconnected VoIP providers, local resellers (coaxial cable, non-traditional, operator, paging, messaging, payphone, prepaid card, private, and satellite service providers), shared-tenant service providers or building local exchange carriers, SMR (dispatch), toll resellers, or wireless data providers.

Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN)

E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers

See 498 ID/Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN).

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