Announcements
September 21, 2020
E-File Outage Due to System Maintenance on 9/25/20
The Service Provider modules in E-File will not be available from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday, September 25, 2020 due to system maintenance and enhancements. We apologize for any inconvenience.
September 15, 2020
FCC Announces 4th Quarter 2020 Contribution Factor is 27.1%
On September 14, 2020, the FCC released Public Notice, DA 20-1075, announcing the proposed universal service contribution factor for the fourth quarter, October–December 2020, will be .271 or 27.1 percent.
September 11, 2020
New Forms Management Coming in E-File Sept. 28
USAC is updating the Forms Management interface in E-File with improved navigation on Monday, Sept. 28. A few of the enhancements include:
- A snapshot of the 499 forms, their filing status, and required action easily visible at-a-glance
- A comprehensive list of all filer IDs associated with multi-filer user IDs
- Simplified navigation to include three tabs: 499 Forms, Payments, and Issue Emails
- Streamlined look to match USAC’s brand
The new design will make the process of managing forms both easier and more convenient. Video walkthroughs for users with single 499 Filer IDs and multiple 499 Filer IDs are available on the E-File Navigation page.
USAC will host two live webinars, Sept. 22-23, to explain these enhancements and provide an opportunity to ask questions. Visit the Webinars page to register.
USAC staff is available by phone to answer any questions. Call our Customer Operations team at (888) 641-8722 and select option 4 or email us at CustomerSupport@usac.org.
July 21, 2020
Third Quarter 2020 Newsletter Available Now
Read the 3rd Quarter 2020 Newsletter which contains information relevant to service providers and Universal Service Fund contributors.
To receive this quarter newsletter in your inbox, visit our Subscription Center.
July 3, 2020
Customer Support Closed July 3
The Service Provider Customer Call Center will be closed on Friday, July 3 for Independence Day. It will reopen on Monday, July 6.
June 15, 2020
FCC Announces the 3rd Quarter Contribution Rate is 26.5%
On June 12, 2020, the FCC released Public Notice, DA 20-617, announcing the proposed universal service contribution factor for the third quarter, July–September 2020, will be .265 or 26.5 percent.
April 2, 2020
Second Quarter 2020 Newsletter Available Now
Read the 2nd Quarter 2020 498/499 Spotlight Newsletter which contains information relevant to service providers and Universal Service Fund contributors.
To receive this quarter newsletter in your inbox, visit our Subscription Center.
April 1, 2020
FCC Form 499-Q Basics Webinar
Please join us on Tuesday, April 7 at 2 p.m. ET for our FCC Form 499-Q Basics Webinar. This webinar is intended for all providers interested in learning/reviewing the general requirements for filing the FCC Form 499-Q, the quarterly telecommunications worksheet. It is recommended for new filers, outlining who should file the form, when to file the form, and how revenue reported on the form is used to determine the monthly support mechanism charge.
If you are interested in attending, please register here.
March 20, 2020
FCC Announces the 2nd Quarter 2020 Contribution Factor is 19.6%
On March 13, 2020, the FCC released Public Notice, DA 20-269, announcing the proposed universal service contribution factor for the second quarter, April–June 2020, will be .196 or 19.6 percent.
March 16, 2020
USAC Remains Open for Business – DC Office Closed
At USAC, we are committed to the health and safety of our employees, contractors, and stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic. USAC remains fully operational.
USAC’s Washington, DC office is closed. USAC staff will work remotely and can be reached at their USAC email and telephone numbers.
While the way we work has changed, USAC will conduct the regular and ongoing work administering the Universal Service Fund. This includes processing and reviewing program applications, collecting contributions, disbursing payments, and implementing program guidance from the FCC.
All USAC customer support centers remain open. Please be patient if you experience longer than usual wait times with our customer service teams as circumstances continue to change.
To submit service provider documents to USAC, please use your normal submission channels or email CustomerSupport@usac.org.
If you send other documents to USAC via mail or overnight delivery, you must also email a PDF copy to Outreach@usac.org.
USAC continues to monitor developments and will implement additional precautions if necessary. This is an evolving situation, and we will keep you informed of any changes as they arise.
February 28, 2020
2020 FCC Form 499-A Now Available
The 2020 FCC Form 499-A is now available in E-File. Service providers are reminded that they are required to complete this form online by April 1, 2020.
January 16, 2020
January System Maintenance
USAC will perform system maintenance on Friday, January 17 from 9 p.m. until Saturday, January 18 at 10 a.m. ET. During this time, users will not be able to access the single portal dashboard to access any E-File applications including FCC Form 499 (no contributor payments can be made), FCC Form 498, the Rural Health Care My Portal, and the High Cost Universal Broadband Portal (HUBB).
January 15, 2020
First Quarter 2020 Newsletter Now Available
Read the 1Q2020 498/499 Spotlight Newsletter, which contains information relevant to service providers and Universal Service Fund contributors. To receive this quarterly newsletter in your inbox, visit our Subscription Center.
January 7, 2020
Service Provider 1st Quarter Training
FCC Form 499-Q Basic Training – 1/23/2020 2pm EST
Read more about our quarterly webinar series and register today here.
December 13, 2019
E-File Outage December 13 – System Maintenance
USAC will perform E-File system maintenance on Friday, December 13 from 9 p.m. until Saturday, December 14 at 10 a.m. ET. During this time, users will not be able to access any E-File applications including FCC Form 499, FCC Form 498, the Rural Health Care My Portal, and the High Cost Universal Broadband Portal (HUBB).
We apologize for the inconvenience.
December 13, 2019
FCC Announces the 1st Quarter 2020 Contribution Factor is 21.2%
On December 12, 2019, the FCC released a Public Notice, DA 19-1266, announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the first quarter, January – March 2020 will be .212 or 21.2 percent.
November 25, 2019
E-file Outage December 3 – System Maintenance
USAC will perform E-file system maintenance on Tuesday, December 3 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. ET. During this time, users will not be able to access any E-file applications including Form 499, Form 498, the Rural Health Care My Portal and the High Cost Universal Broadband portal (HUBB).
We apologize for the inconvenience.
October 7, 2019
FCC Announces 4th Quarter 2019 Contribution Factor Increase to 25.0%
The FCC released a Public Notice, DA 19-910, announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the fourth quarter, October – December 2019, will be .250 or 25.0 percent.
October 7, 2019
FCC Announces 3rd Quarter 2019 Contribution Factor Increase to 24.4%
The FCC released a Public Notice (DA 19-559) announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the third quarter, July – September 2019, will be .244 or 24.4 percent.
August 20, 2019
FCC Form 498 – Update Required
Service Providers Must Update their FCC Form 498 to include the business type
Service providers can log in to E-File to update their FCC Form 498 and select the business type(s) that best describe their organization. From the list of DATA Act business types, service providers can select up to three business types ranked in order of importance to the company’s business. Service providers will also need to include their Dun and Bradstreet number. If you do not know your company’s Dun and Bradstreet Number, you can look it up online. If you do not have a Dun and Bradstreet number, and you are U.S. government contractor or grantee, you can request one without charge.
Once the service provider updates the business type field an Officer will need to certify and approve the FCC Form 498 before this process is complete and shared with USAC.
April 22, 2019
Second Quarter Spotlight Newsletter is now available
Click here to read the 2Q2019 498/499 Spotlight.
March 14, 2019
FCC Announces 2nd Quarter 2019 Contribution Factor Decrease to 18.8 Percent
The FCC released a Public Notice (DA 19-178) announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the second quarter, April – June 2019 will be .188 or 18.8 percent.
