July 16, 2026
Form 481 and Broadband Deployment Data Now Available to State Officials
State utility commissions may now access the most recent FCC Form 481 filings for carriers under their jurisdiction that participate in the High Cost program through the  54.314 certification system in the USAC E-File/One Portal system, and deployment data for broadband service supported by the Connect America Fund (CAF) in their states through the Connect America Fund Broadband Map (CAF Map) and the  Connect America Fund State Map  (CAF State Map). State regulators rely on Form 481 filings and broadband deployment data submitted to USAC by carriers that receive High Cost support in order to perform the annual certification of carriers under their jurisdiction to be able to take part in the program. This certification is due by Oct. 1.
Part of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), High Cost distributes billions of dollars to carriers each year to deliver essential telecommunications services in rural areas where the market alone cannot support the substantial cost of deploying network infrastructure and providing connectivity. Carriers must offer service at rates reasonably comparable to those available in urban areas.
The Connect America Fund (CAF), a centerpiece of the program, consists of roughly a dozen separate funds  that disburse set monthly payments to carriers to deploy and maintain modern communications networks that provide voice service and broadband at required speeds in underserved and unserved areas. Carriers must complete deployment over a defined timeline, with separate interim and final deployment milestone deadlines for each fund. Carriers participating in funds that subsidize fixed broadband must connect a specific number of locations in eligible areas over the fund’s deployment timeline.
The annual Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) certification, mandated under 47 CFR Section 54.314 , requires state utility commissions to certify that carriers under their jurisdiction are eligible to receive High Cost support in their states and used all support received in the proceeding calendar year only to provide, maintain and upgrade the facilities for which the support was intended and will do the same in the coming calendar year. State regulators must complete the annual ETC certification for all carriers under their jurisdiction and submit the certification to USAC no later than Oct. 1 annually.
States may submit the certification to USAC through the 54.314 system in E-File. State officials may also send the certification by email, fax or mail, although USAC highly recommends filing online through the 54.314 system. States are no longer required to submit the annual ETC certification separately to the FCC. (See FCC 23-87 , para. 134)
Read the full announcement here.
July 16, 2026
Form 481 and Broadband Deployment Data Now Available to Tribal Officials
Tribal officials can now request access to the most recent FCC Form 481 filings submitted by telecommunications carriers that serve Native American communities with financing from the High Cost program by completing the  Tribal Access Request Form and emailing it to the USAC High Cost Division at Form481@usac.org. Tribal officials can also view deployment data for broadband networks supported by the Connect America Fund (CAF) in Indian Country through the  Connect America Fund Broadband Map (CAF Map) and the Connect America Fund State Map (CAF State Map).
Part of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), High Cost distributes billions of dollars to carriers each year to deliver essential telecommunications services in rural areas where the market alone cannot support the substantial cost of deploying network infrastructure and providing connectivity. Carriers must offer service at rates reasonably comparable to those available in urban areas.
The Connect America Fund (CAF), a centerpiece of the program, consists of roughly a dozen separate funds that disburse set monthly payments to carriers to deploy and maintain modern communications networks that provide voice service and broadband at required speeds in underserved and unserved areas. Carriers must complete deployment over a defined timeline, with separate interim and final deployment milestone deadlines for each fund. Carriers participating in funds that subsidize fixed broadband must connect a specific number of locations in eligible areas over the fund’s deployment timeline.
Read the full announcement here.
July 7, 2026
Carriers Must Certify Q2 Network Test Results or Attest to No Testing by July 15
USAC reminds carriers subject to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) performance measures testing framework that they have until Wed., July 15, 2026, to submit and certify results from network speed and latency testing conducted in the second quarter of 2026 at a random sample of broadband subscriber locations supported by the Connect America Fund (CAF) and reported in the High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal in order to comply with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Performance Measures testing framework.
Failure to complete a full week of speed and latency testing at all selected subscriber locations for each Study Area Code (SAC) and obligated speed tier combination by the end of the second quarter, on June 30, 2026, or to submit and certify all test results for the full sample of selected locations for each SAC and obligated speed tier combination – or attest that a carrier cannot find active subscribers to test for a particular SAC and speed tier combination – by the July 15, 2026, deadline may impact future CAF support payments. (See FCC DA 26-277 and FCC DA 25-289)
This requirementapplies to carriers in the following funds (as well as ACS):
Carriers that did not conduct all required network performance measures testing during the second quarter because they do not have any locations reported yet in the HUBB or cannot find active subscribers to test for a particular SAC and speed tier combination must attest to this (and provide an explanation) in the PMM by the July 15, 2026, deadline and may be subject to verification review that subscribers are not available.Â
Carriers that did not conduct all required network performance measures testing during the second quarter for any other reason – including carriers that obtained a subscriber location sample for a particular SAC and speed tier combination but did not have time to set up testing – must also attest to this (and provide an explanation) in the PMM by the July 15, 2026, deadline and may see an impact on compliance calculations.Â
Read the full announcement here.
July 7, 2026
Carriers Must Certify Q2 Network Pre-Test Results or Attest to No Testing by July 15
USAC reminds carriers participating in the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (Enhanced ACAM) program that they have until Wed., July 15, 2026, to submit and certify results from network speed and latency pre-testing conducted in the second quarter of 2026 at a random sample of broadband subscriber locations supported by the Connect America Fund (CAF) and reported in the High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal in order to comply with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Performance Measures testing framework.
Failure to complete a full week of speed and latency pre-testing at all selected subscriber locations for each Study Area Code (SAC) and obligated speed tier combination by the end of the second quarter, on June 30, 2026, or to submit and certify all test results for the full sample of selected locations for each SAC and obligated speed tier combination – or attest that a carrier cannot find active subscribers to test for a particular SAC and speed tier combination – by the July 15, 2026, deadline may lead to withholding of support. (See FCC DA 26-277 and FCC DA 25-289)
Enhanced ACAM carriers that did not conduct all required network performance measures pre-testing during the second quarter because they do not have any locations reported yet in the HUBB or cannot find active subscribers to test for a particular SAC and speed tier combination must attest to this (and provide an explanation)Â in the PMM by the July 15, 2026, deadline and may be subject to verification review that subscribers are not available. (Enhanced ACAM carriers that do not have CAF-supported deployment data reported yet in the HUBB do not have to begin pre-testing yet, but should plan to do so within one quarter after they do.)
Enhanced ACAM carriers that did not conduct all required network performance measures pre-testing during the second quarter for any other reason – including carriers that obtained a subscriber location sample for a particular SAC and speed tier combination but did not have time to set up testing – must also attest to this (and provide an explanation) in the PMM by the July 15, 2026, deadline and may see withholding of support until they begin and certify results from the required pre-testing.
Read the full announcement here.
June 16, 2026
FCC Form 507 Line Count Report Due by July 1
Carriers receiving Alternative Connect America Model (Original ACAM, Revised ACAM, ACAM II or Enhanced ACAM) or Alaska Plan support must submit the annual Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Form 507 line count report to USAC by July 1, 2026, through USAC’s new online legacy data collection portal.
FCC Form 507 collects carrier line count data by study area in each of the following categories:
- Residential and single-line business access lines in service
- Multi-line business access lines in service
- Consumer broadband-only lines in service
- Total number of lines in service
Carriers must submit the FCC Form 507 through USAC’s new online legacy data collection portal, which can be accessed through USAC’s E-file system. Please see USAC’s Multifactor Authentication Troubleshooting Steps for help logging into E-File.
Read the full announcement here.
