The FCC's Office of Inspector General (OIG) released their semi-annual Report to Congress. The dates cover April 1, 2005 – September 30, 2005.
The OIG reported that they continue to be concerned about allegations of waste, fraud and abuse within the E-rate program. They believe they need more federal resources to fully implement an even more comprehensive oversight program to ensure compliance.
The Report also highlights the investigative activity during the last six months. The OIG continues to work closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice (DoJ). The DoJ has set up a Taskforce specifically to deal with Universal Service issues. The OIG is directly involved in supporting 26 investigations and is monitoring another 13 investigations.
USAC hired BearingPoint earlier this year to conduct 1000 site visits per year. These are mini-audits and must be taken seriously. These visits can trigger further questions and it is important to retain your documentation for a five-year period. USAC and the FCC will continue to spend resources to conduct audits to ensure that E-rate beneficiaries remain in compliance of program regulations.
The Report cites every audit they are currently working on and can be found at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-262534A1.pdf.
