On April 20, 2017, E-rate applicants who recently had received an invoice deadline extension were surprised to receive a notification rescinding the deadline extension. The USAC notice instructed applicants that they had erroneously received an email from deadlines@sl.universalservice.org stating their invoice deadline extension request had been granted. Per USAC, the applicants were to disregard the message and that the “email was generated automatically in error due to a system issue and we were not able to stop or recall the message.”
Payment paperwork is denied if it is submitted after a funding commitment’s invoice deadline, or last date to invoice (“LDI”). If an applicant or service provider needs additional time to submit payment paperwork to USAC, they can request an invoice deadline extension. As part of the FCC’s effort to streamline the E-rate program, the FCC adopted a more lenient, but less flexible, invoice deadline extension procedure. The Modernization Order established a “no questions asked” system for a single, 120-day invoice deadline extension request. USAC’s decision to grant or deny an invoice deadline extension can mean the difference between receiving or not receiving E‚Äêrate discounts.
Applicants who received the conflicting notifications this week can call the SLD Customer Service Bureau at 888-203-8100 if they have questions or concerns.
