Corrected Form 486 Notification Letters
USAC issued a number of “corrected” Form 486 Notification Letters last week. Many of the original letters, issued in May and still available in the News feeds, included the cover letter but failed to include the report portion of the PDF file.
The EPC News feeds for the revised letters are prominently labeled “CORRECTED” and now include all pages of the PDF files.
Shortfalls on U.S. Treasury Invoice Payments:
When Universal Service Fund (“USF”) banking was transferred from commercial banks to the U.S. Treasury earlier this spring, applicants and service providers were assured that the transfer would be transparent to end users. Scattered reports now indicate that such transparency may not always be the case.
Historically, USAC would not pay invoices to applicants and service providers who were on “Red Light” status. i.e., those owing money to either USAC or the FCC. By a broader token, the U.S. Treasury will not pay, or will reduce payments, based on any outstanding federal agency debt. Currently there appears to be no reciprocal link from the U.S Treasury back to USAC if BEAR or SPI payments are reduced due to federal repayments. As a result, it is possible that USAC invoice notifications may indicate E-rate payments in excess of amounts electronically transferred. Additional information, should this occur, can be found on the Treasury Offset Program site or by calling 800-304-3107.