Profile Changes Temporarily Disabled:
Immediately after the close of the FY 2016 application window for schools and school districts, USAC disabled the entity profile section for those types of EPC accounts. This was done on a temporary basis, through July 23rd, to stabilize school entity data until after the close of the extended library and consortium application window on July 21st.
To see this, click on the “Manage Organization” button.
The result is:
Although the direct path to school and district entity profiles is temporarily blocked, there are ways to add or update entity data as necessary. The easiest, though perhaps not the fastest, approach is to ask USAC to update the entity data by filing a Customer Service Request within EPC.
Alternatively, applicants who filed Form 471s for FY 2016, can use the RAL correction process to update entity data in their applications. (Note: It is not yet clear if such updates will flow through the applicants’ entity profiles, or will simply update their applications.) To update application entity data within EPC:
- Select “FCC Forms,” then choose “FCC Form 471.”
- Click on the application number to display the basic Form 471 information. Select “Related Actions,” then choose:
- To edit a specific entity, sequentially select “Entity,” “Related Entities,” the entity in question, and then “Edit.”
Summer Deferral of PIA Inquiries:
The S&L News Brief of May 27, 2016 notes that USAC will put application reviews on hold during the summer contact period if the contacts on those applications are not available. The summer deferral period began the Friday before Memorial Day and will end the Friday after Labor Day. Application contacts receiving PIA inquires will now see an option within EPC to exercise the summer deferral period.
PIA inquiries are initiated with emails to the application contacts entitled “E-Rate Application Information Request. ” Each email includes a hyperlink “Click here to respond to inquiries” directly (after login) to the “Pending Inquiries” section of the applicant’s EPC account. As shown below, there is now a new “Apply Summer or Winter…” button in the upper right-hand corner. (Note: “Winter” refers to a shorter deferral period in effect during the late December holiday season.)
The applicant now has three choices: (a) respond to the inquiry within the initial 15 days; (b) request a 7-day extension; or (c), request an extension until the end of the summer period. At this stage of the year, the latter choice provides the greatest flexibility. The downside of this option is that approval of the application is also deferred — although the applicant can reinitiate the application review at any time by answering the outstanding inquiries.