October 16, 2024
USAC Encourages Carriers to Update HUBB Data to Prepare for New PMM Sample Generation
USAC encourages all carriers participating in the Alternative Connect America Cost Model (Original ACAM), Revised Alternative Connect America Cost Model (Revised ACAM), Rural Broadband Experiments (RBE) and Alaska Plan programs to be sure that their broadband deployment data in the High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal – showing where they offer broadband service with Connect America Fund (CAF) support – is as up-to-date, complete and accurate as possible in order to prepare for the generation of new random samples of active subscriber locations for ongoing quarterly network speed and latency testing in 2025.
Original and Revised ACAM, RBE and Alaska Plan carriers are nearing the end of their fourth full year of network performance measures testing mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – and are now in their eighth and final quarter of testing with their current random samples of CAF-supported broadband locations with active subscribers – and must therefore obtain new samples for quarterly testing that starts in the first quarter of 2025. The FCC requires carriers to obtain new random samples of subscriber locations after two years of network testing.
USAC will inform Original and Revised ACAM, RBE and Alaska Plan carriers when it is ready to generate new random samples. In the meantime, carriers should update their broadband build-out data in the HUBB as soon as possible to add any new locations that they have built out but not yet submitted to the system. While carriers have until March 3, 2025, to report deployment completed in 2024 in the HUBB, USAC encourages carriers to file their 2024 deployments as soon as possible so that those locations can potentially be included in their new random samples for testing starting in the first quarter of next year.
In addition, carriers should update speed tier data for existing locations already in the HUBB by Oct. 24, 2024, if they want those network upgrades reflected in their new random samples. Carriers should also begin the process of determining which locations reported in the HUBB have active subscribers for potential inclusion in the new samples since this process can take time. Read the full announcement here.
October 16, 2024
Coming in 2025: Performance Measures Testing
Starting in 2025, carriers participating in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) must conduct quarterly network speed and latency testing at a random sample of broadband subscriber locations supported by the Connect America Fund (CAF) in order to comply with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) performance measures testing requirements. To prepare for this process, USAC encourages RDOF carriers to be sure that their broadband deployment data in the High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal – showing where they offer broadband service with CAF support – is as up-to-date, complete and accurate as possible.
USAC will inform RDOF carriers when it is ready to generate their first random samples of CAF-supported locations with active subscribers for network testing beginning in the first quarter of 2025.
In the meantime, carriers should update their broadband build-out data in the HUBB as soon as possible to add any new locations that they have built out but not yet submitted to the system. While carriers have until March 3, 2025, to report deployment completed in 2024 in the HUBB, USAC encourages carriers to file their 2024 deployments as soon as possible so that those locations can potentially be included in their new random samples for testing starting in the first quarter of next year.
In addition, carriers should update speed tier data for existing locations already in the HUBB by the end of October if they want those network upgrades reflected in their new random samples. Carriers should also begin the process of determining which locations reported in the HUBB have active subscribers for potential inclusion in the new samples since this process can take time. Read the full announcement here.
October 2, 2024
Webinar: Avoiding Common Audit Findings
Please join USAC on Wednesday, October 30th from 1:00 PM ET to 2:00 PM ET to learn how to avoid common findings of High Cost beneficiary audits. In this session, USAC’s High Cost and Internal Audit staff will discuss common carrier errors discovered during beneficiary audits. Register Here
October 2, 2024
USAC Encourages Carriers to Submit and Certify Third Quarter Network Testing Results by Oct. 7
USAC encourages carriers to submit and certify results from network speed and latency testing conducted in the third quarter of 2024 at a random sample of broadband subscriber locations supported by the Connect America Fund (CAF) in the USAC Performance Measures Module (PMM) by Mon., Oct. 7, 2024, so that USAC can produce third quarter compliance reports to help carriers track their progress in meeting the requirements of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Performance Measures compliance framework.
USAC provides quarterly compliance reports to carriers that certify their test results within one week of the end of the quarter – no later than Mon., Oct. 7, 2024, for third quarter results – to help them track their progress in meeting FCC speed and latency metrics and address any shortfalls.
Quarterly testing mandates currently apply to carriers in the following funds (as well as ACS):
Carriers in all these funds, as well as ACS, were required to complete a week of third quarter network testing by Mon., Sept. 30, 2024. (The FCC has waived performance measures testing requirements for the fourth quarter of 2024 for carriers located in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene). Read the full announcement here.