Glossary of Terms

Terms	Program	Definitions
Whistleblower Alert	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	A hotline allowing members of the public to anonymously report suspected violations of universal service program rules to USAC. These reports can be made anonymously via the USAC Whistleblower Alert Form, by emailing WhistleblowerReports@usac.org, by calling (888) 203-8100, or by U.S. mail to: Attn: Fraud Risk Group Universal Service Administrative Co. 700 12th Street, NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20005
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)	High Cost, Service Providers	A technology that digitizes analog voice signals and transmits them over the internet. VoIP calls may be placed between VoIP users or sent over the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to dial conventional phone numbers.
Universal Service Fund (USF)	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	Money collected from telecommunications companies and allocated to the objective of achieving universal service, per the 1996 Telecommunications Act. All interstate and international voice carriers operating in the U.S. must make contributions to the USF equal to a percentage of their interstate end-user revenues. The FCC updates this percentage, known as the contribution factor, quarterly. USAC’s role is to collect and disburse the USF.
Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	The independent not-for-profit organization designated by the FCC as the neutral, third-party administrator of the USF and its four programs. Collectively, the fund disbursed more than $8.5 billion in universal service support in 2024.
Universal Service	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	The principle that all people in the United States should have access to telecommunications (voice and internet) services at reasonable rates. The USF, and later USAC, were established by the FCC to achieve this objective.
Telecommunications Plant in Service (TPIS)	High Cost	The cost of the property, plant, and equipment in a carrier’s operation.
Telecommunications Carrier	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	See Common Carrier.
Telecommunications	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	The transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user’s choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received.
Subscriber Line Charge (SLC)	High Cost	The amount carriers charge customers for telecommunications service.
Study Area Code (SAC)	E-Rate, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	A unique number that USAC assigns to ETCs identifying the company by its service area. Companies must have at least one SAC per state in which they operate, but can have more than one SAC within a state if they have more than one service area.
Study Area Average Cost Per Loop (SACPL)	High Cost	A cost metric, determined monthly by NECA, that is used to calculate High Cost support.
Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN)	E-Rate, Rural Health Care, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers	See 498 ID/Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN).
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.
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.
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.
Rate of Return Carrier	High Cost	A category of telecommunications carrier participating in the High Cost program. Typically small rural providers, rate of return carriers set prices based on embedded costs that incorporate a return on equity.
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).
Price Cap Carrier	High Cost	A category of telecommunications carrier participating in the High Cost program. Typically large incumbent providers, price cap carriers are allowed to charge a maximum price and then manage costs within that revenue structure.
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.
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.
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/.
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.
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.
Office of Inspector General (OIG)	High Cost, Service Providers	A division of the FCC that provides independent and objective audits and investigations relating to agency programs and operations. May conduct audits or investigations of universal service support recipients, contributors, or service providers.
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.

Whistleblower Alert

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

A hotline allowing members of the public to anonymously report suspected violations of universal service program rules to USAC. These reports can be made anonymously via the USAC Whistleblower Alert Form, by emailing WhistleblowerReports@usac.org, by calling (888) 203-8100, or by U.S. mail to:

Attn: Fraud Risk Group
Universal Service Administrative Co.
700 12th Street, NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

High Cost, Service Providers

A technology that digitizes analog voice signals and transmits them over the internet. VoIP calls may be placed between VoIP users or sent over the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to dial conventional phone numbers.

Universal Service Fund (USF)

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

Money collected from telecommunications companies and allocated to the objective of achieving universal service, per the 1996 Telecommunications Act. All interstate and international voice carriers operating in the U.S. must make contributions to the USF equal to a percentage of their interstate end-user revenues. The FCC updates this percentage, known as the contribution factor, quarterly. USAC’s role is to collect and disburse the USF.

Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)

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

The independent not-for-profit organization designated by the FCC as the neutral, third-party administrator of the USF and its four programs. Collectively, the fund disbursed more than $8.5 billion in universal service support in 2024.

Universal Service

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

The principle that all people in the United States should have access to telecommunications (voice and internet) services at reasonable rates. The USF, and later USAC, were established by the FCC to achieve this objective.

Telecommunications Plant in Service (TPIS)

High Cost

The cost of the property, plant, and equipment in a carrier’s operation.

Telecommunications Carrier

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

See Common Carrier.

Telecommunications

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

The transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user’s choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received.

Subscriber Line Charge (SLC)

High Cost

The amount carriers charge customers for telecommunications service.

Study Area Code (SAC)

E-Rate, Lifeline, High Cost, Service Providers

A unique number that USAC assigns to ETCs identifying the company by its service area. Companies must have at least one SAC per state in which they operate, but can have more than one SAC within a state if they have more than one service area.

Study Area Average Cost Per Loop (SACPL)

High Cost

A cost metric, determined monthly by NECA, that is used to calculate High Cost support.

Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN)

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Rate of Return Carrier

High Cost

A category of telecommunications carrier participating in the High Cost program. Typically small rural providers, rate of return carriers set prices based on embedded costs that incorporate a return on equity.

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).

Price Cap Carrier

High Cost

A category of telecommunications carrier participating in the High Cost program. Typically large incumbent providers, price cap carriers are allowed to charge a maximum price and then manage costs within that revenue structure.

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.

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.

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/.

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.

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.

Office of Inspector General (OIG)

High Cost, Service Providers

A division of the FCC that provides independent and objective audits and investigations relating to agency programs and operations. May conduct audits or investigations of universal service support recipients, contributors, or service providers.

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.

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