Invoicing Update:
Payments for the month of October totaled $304.1 million against $396 million in requests. USAC processed invoices for 2352 service providers, and 95% of the invoices were processed within 30 days.
Top Invoice Denial Explanations:
- Spin Not Registered
- Total Commitment Paid
- Invoiced Received After Deadline
- Duplicate Invoicing
- Annual Certification (SPAC) Not Filed
Q&A Discussed
Q: If an applicant is applying for the purchase of a router that pushes the Internet signal out to all of its buildings, including schools and non-instructional facilities (NIFs), does the purchase of that router require cost allocation on the FCC Form 471 for NIF usage?
No cost allocation would be required in this case.
Q. Are Managed Internal Broadband Services contracts allowed to include buyout clauses for the applicant?
A. The SLD is still discussing this matter with the FCC.
Q. Will USAC be bringing over history into the new EPC system and how far back will it go?
A. The SLD is considering what and how much of the history is necessary for stakeholders.
Q. Modulating Electronics for existing dark fiber are newly eligible for E-rate support as a Category One service. What option from the FCC Form 470 drop down menu should we select when posting? If we select either “Dark Fiber” or “Other,” the system requires an RFP. Since service providers rarely read the Narrative section, selecting either of these options is misleading to service providers who search by category.
A. The applicant should select “other” and write a narrative on the Form 470.
Q.Can USAC include a check box for the preferred invoicing method – SPI or BEAR – on each FRN on the FCC Form 471 and 486?
A. The SLD appreciate the recommendation and are considering their options.
Q. We are a service provider that has maintenance agreements with several schools. What, if any assistance or suggestions can we provide to our customers prior to the day they file an FCC Form 470?
A. The SLD stated that companies can provide product demonstrations, but cannot provide sample RFP’s or specifications
Note: The summary above is not the official minutes from the webinar, but simply notes from Funds For Learning. The official minutes for this webinar can be found here.
