Announcements
January 12, 2022
Certain USAC Customer Service Centers Closed – Monday, January 17, 2022
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the customer service centers for E-Rate, Emergency Connectivity Fund, High Cost, Rural Health Care, Contributors, and Service Providers will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2022.
The Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program customer service centers will remain open during normal operating hours.
December 22, 2021
USAC Customer Service Centers’ Holiday Hours & Closures
In observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the USAC Customer Service Centers will be closed or have shortened hours as follows:
Lifeline Customer Service Center:
- Normal Hours: 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET
- Saturday, December 25, 2021 – Closed
- Saturday, January 1, 2022 – Closed
Emergency Broadband Benefit & Affordable Connectivity Program Customer Service Centers:
- Normal Hours: 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET
- Saturday, December 25, 2021 – Closed
E-Rate, Emergency Connectivity Fund, Rural Health Care, & High Cost Customer Service Centers:
- Normal Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET
- Friday, December 24, 2021 – Closed
- Friday, December 31, 2021 – Closed
Contributors & Service Providers Customer Service Centers:
- Normal Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET
- Thursday, December 23, 2021 – Closes @ 2:00 PM
- Friday, December 24, 2021 – Closed
- Friday, December 31, 2021 – Closed
December 14, 2021
FCC Announces 1st Quarter Contribution Factor is 25.2%
The FCC released a Public Notice, DA 21-1550, announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the first quarter of 2022 (January – March) will be .252 or 25.2 percent.
December 13, 2021
Some USAC Systems Offline
In an abundance of caution, USAC has pulled some USF program systems offline while completing a security review in response to the Log4j vulnerability. USAC has not identified any security concerns—the systems were taken offline as a precaution and to install security patches.
USAC will provide additional information about system availability when they are back online.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
November 22, 2021
USAC Customer Support Centers Closed – November 25-26, 2021
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, the USAC Customer Support Centers will be closed Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26.
The Lifeline and Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Customer Support Centers will remain open on Friday, November 26.
November 9, 2021
Certain USAC Customer Support Centers Closed Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021
In observance of Veteran’s Day, USAC’s Customer Support Centers for E-Rate, Emergency Connectivity Fund, High Cost, Rural Health Care, Contributors (Form 499), Service Providers (Form 498), Complaints, and Whistleblower Alerts will be closed on Thursday, November 11, 2021.
The Lifeline and Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Customer Support Centers will remain open during normal operating hours.
October 28, 2021
Financial Operations Customer Support Center Closed Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021
USAC’s Financial Operations Customer Support Center for Contributors (Form 499), Service Providers (Form 498), Complaints, and Whistleblower Alerts will be closed on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
The E-Rate, High Cost, Lifeline, Rural Health Care, Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, and Emergency Connectivity Fund customer support centers will remain open during normal operating hours.
October 11, 2021
Certain Customer Support Centers Closed – Oct. 11
In observance of the federal holiday, the customer support centers for E-Rate, High Cost, Rural Health Care, Contributors, and Service Providers will be closed Monday, October 11, 2021. The Lifeline, Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, and Emergency Connectivity Fund customer support centers will remain open during normal operating hours.
October 8, 2021
WCB Releases the 2022 FCC Forms 499-A and 499-Q and Accompanying Instructions
On October 1, 2021, the FCC released the 2022 FCC Form 499-A and the 2022 FCC Form 499-Q. You can view a copy of this announcement and the forms on the FCC’s Daily Digest website.
October 4, 2021
Service Providers Unable to Access E-File on October 9, 2021
Service Providers will not be able to access E-File on Saturday, October 9 2021 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET due to server maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience.
September 15, 2021
FCC Announces 4th Quarter Contribution Factor is 29.1%
The FCC released a Public Notice, DA 21-1134, announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the fourth quarter of 2021 (October – December) will be .291 or 29.1 percent.
August 9, 2021
FCC Announces 3rd Quarter Contribution Factor is 31.8%
The FCC released a Public Notice, DA 21-676, announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the third quarter of 2021 (July – September) will be .318 or 31.8 percent.
June 11, 2021
2021 Annual True-Up Statements Available in July
In July 2021, service providers will see their true-up statements for the 2021 FCC Form 499-A and 2020 FCC Form 499-A.
USAC has added this as a new feature to E-File. Navigation instructions are below.
- Click “Payments”.
- Select “True-Up Statements” under the Select Payment View drop-down list.
- True-Up Statements will appear. Select the respective pdf icon to view the true-up statement.
May 17, 2021
RESOLVED: USAC Phone Outage
***Update: The USAC phone system is operational again. Thank you for your patience during this outage.
The Contributor Support Center phone system is currently down. Please email your questions through the Contact Us tab. We are working to resolve the issue, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
E-Rate, High Cost, Lifeline, and Rural Health Care customer service phone lines are unaffected and can be reached through the Contact USAC webpage.
May 11, 2021
Summer Trainings Now Available
USAC will be hosting summer trainings and office hours designed to help service providers and applicants with their upcoming filing needs and answer questions. To register for upcoming sessions, please visit the Webinars page. More registration details to come closer to training dates.
May
- Thursday, May 27 at 2 p.m. ET: Office Hours – Topic: What Happens After You File an FCC Form 499-A
June
- Thursday, June 3 at 2 p.m. ET: New 499 ID Filer Basics
- Thursday, June 10 at 2 p.m. ET: Office Hours – Topic: Manage Your 499 ID Information
July
- Thursday, July 1 at 2 p.m. ET: New 499 Filer ID Basics
- Tuesday, July 6 at 2 p.m. ET: Quarterly Training: 499-Q Basics
- Tuesday, July 13 at 2 p.m. ET: Office Hours – Topic: Annual True Up and Credit Balance Refunds
August
- Monday, August 2 at 2 p.m. ET: New 499 Filer ID Basics
- Thursday, August 5 at 2 p.m. ET: Office Hours – Topic: How to Make Revisions to Your Form 499s
September
- Wednesday, September 1 at 2 p.m. ET: New 499 Filer ID Basics
- Thursday, September 9 at 2 p.m. ET: Office Hours – Topic: How to Add and Remove Authorized Users
March 12, 2021
FCC Announces 2nd Quarter Contribution Factor is 33.4%
The FCC released a Public Notice, DA 21-308, announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the second quarter of 2021 (April – June) will be .334 or 33.4 percent.
March 9, 2021
E-File Maintenance March 11, 2021
USAC’s E-File system will not be available on Thursday, March 11, 2021 from 6 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. ET due to maintenance work. We apologize for any inconvenience.
March 4, 2021
2021 FCC Form 499-A Now Available in E-File
The 2021 FCC Form 499-A (Annual Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is now available in E-File, USAC’s online filing system. The due date for filing the form is Thursday, April 1, 2021.
FCC rules require all telecommunications service providers to file the FCC Form 499-A to report historical revenue data for your company. The 2021 FCC Form 499-A should be used to report revenue data for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Be aware that all de minimis filers ARE required to file the FCC Form 499-A, reporting 2020 revenues regardless of the amount.
Please note that failure to file this Form by the due date of April 1, 2021 will result in a late filing fee (minimum of $100/month.)
January 7, 2021
USAC Announces FCC Form 499-A Training Dates
USAC will be hosting training webinars covering how to file the required annual filing, the FCC Form 499-A. Each session is designed to cover common reporting questions for specific types of service providers.
Please visit our Webinar page to register.
- February 9 – 499-A Training: What’s New
- February 11 – 499-A Training: VoIP Providers
- February 16 – 499-A Training: Cellular Providers
- February 18 – 499-A Training: Long Distance Providers
- February 23 – 499-A Training: Resellers
- February 25 – 499-A Training: All Others
January 7, 2021
RESOLVED: Intermittent USAC Email Connectivity Issues
***Update: The USAC email system is operational again. Thank you for your patience during this outage.
USAC is experiencing internal, intermittent connectivity issues with email access. While USAC actively works to resolve this issue, stakeholders may experience delays in receiving responses to emails sent to USAC inboxes, which includes USAC’s customer service support.
At this time, the USAC telephone system is operational for customer service support.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and we will respond to your email inquiry as soon as the issue is resolved.
January 6, 2021
Calendar Year 2021 de minimis Threshold Levels
For calendar year 2021, filers that report less than $44,248 of combined interstate and international revenues on Line 423, columns (d) and (e) of the 2022 FCC Form 499-A will be considered de minimis for 2021.
On a quarterly basis, to help determine if a filer is de minimis or not, if the revenue reported on Line 120(b) + (c) of the FCC Form 499-Q is $11,016.95 or less, then the service provider will be de minimis for the quarter and not required to file the FCC Form 499-Q for that quarter.
December 15, 2020
FCC Announces 1st Quarter 2021 Contribution Factor is 31.8%
The FCC released a Public Notice, DA 20-1480, announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the first quarter of 2021 (January – March) will be .318 or 31.8 percent.
December 15, 2020
Wireline Competition Bureau Releases the 2021 Telecommunications Reporting Worksheets and Accompanying Instructions
On November 30, 2020, the FCC released the 2021 FCC Form 499-A and the 2021 FCC Form 499-Q. You can view a copy of this announcement and the forms on the FCC’s Daily Digest website.
USAC will update their website with these new forms soon. Please keep in mind that service providers will not see the 2021 FCC Form 499-A in E-File until late February 2021.
December 11, 2020
Service Provider Payments
Service providers will not be able to make payments using E-File on Saturday, December 12, 2020 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET due to an upgrade being made in the Pay.gov system. We apologize for any inconvenience.
November 18, 2020
E-File Maintenance
E-File 499/498 forms will not be available on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET due an upgrade being made in the E-File system. We apologize for any inconvenience.
November 13, 2020
New FCC Form 499 Filer ID Basics Webinar
Please join us Wednesday, December 3 at 2 p.m. ET for the new FCC Form 499 Filer ID Basics Webinar. This webinar will cover topics relevant to companies who have recently registered with USAC as a service provider. These topics include the basics, including the difference between a 498 and 499 Filer ID, the forms a 499 Filer ID are required to file, a high level of the information required on each of the FCC Forms 499, Contributor invoices, and online training opportunities. This training will be repeated monthly to provide important information for any company who has recently registered and received a 499 Filer ID. Companies will also have the opportunity to question USAC senior analysts responsible for reviewing the FCC Forms 499 that these new service providers must file.
Here are the upcoming dates for future FCC Form 499 Filer ID Basics webinars:
- Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET
- Monday, February 8, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET
- Monday, March 8, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET
If you are interested in attending, please register here.
November 13, 2020
Service Provider Payments
Service providers will not be able to make payments using E-File on Saturday, November 14, 2020 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET due to an upgrade being made in the Pay.gov system. We apologize for any inconvenience.
October 27, 2020
Viewing Your USAC Invoice Summaries
USAC has updated the steps required to view your online invoice summaries in E-File.
It’s easy–please watch the updated instructional video!
October 23, 2020
Service Provider Payments
Service Providers will not be able to make payments using E-File on Saturday, October 24, 2020 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET due to an upgrade in the Pay.gov system. We apologize for any inconvenience.
October 9, 2020
Fourth Quarter 2020 Newsletter Available Now
Read the 4th 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.
October 2, 2020
USAC Phone Outage
The USAC telephone system is currently down. The outage includes individual USAC employee phones as well as the Contributor Support Center. We are working to resolve the issue and apologize for the inconvenience.
***Update: The USAC telephone system may be down intermittently. The outage includes individual USAC employee phones as well as the Contributor Support Center. Please email your questions by visiting the Contact USAC web page as we work to resolve this issue. We apologize for the inconvenience.
September 30, 2020
USAC Phone Outage
The USAC telephone system is currently down. The outage includes individual USAC employee phones as well as the Contributor Support Center. We are working to resolve the issue and apologize for the inconvenience.
***Update: The USAC Phone System is operational again. Thank you for your patience during this outage.
September 29, 2020
USAC Phone Outage
The USAC telephone system is currently down. The outage includes individual USAC employee phones as well as the Contributor Support Center. We are working to resolve the issue and apologize for the inconvenience.
***Update: The USAC Phone System is operational again. Thank you for your patience during this outage.
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.
