Upcoming Dates:
| March 13 |
Interim SPIN 14366666 becomes available for use on FY 2024 Form 471 applications (see USAC’s E-Rate News Brief dated February 15, 2024). This SPIN should be used in very limited circumstances when the service provider does not yet have a SPIN. |
| March 13 |
FCC webinar on the ACP Wind-Down process, streamed live on www.fcc.gov/live (see article below). |
| March 14 |
FCC open meeting at which the Commission is expected to vote on creating a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for wireless consumer products (see FCC release and our newsletter of September 25th). See FCC-CIRC2403 for a draft of the proposed Report and Order. |
| March 14 |
Food Research & Action Center (“FRAC”) webinar entitled “A Deep Dive into the Community Eligibility Provision” (“CEP”) (Register). |
| March 15 |
Form 486 deadline for FY 2023 Wave 30. More generally, the Form 486 deadline is 120 days from the FCDL date or from the service start date (typically July 1st), whichever is later. Upcoming Form 486 deadlines are:
Wave 31 03/22/2024
Wave 32 03/29/2024 |
| March 27 |
Close of the Form 471 application window for FY 2024. To be considered as “In Window,” Form 471s must be filed and certified by 11:59 p.m. EDT. |
| August 29 |
Invoice deadline for ECF Window 3 applications. |
February 27th Invoice Corrections:
As mentioned in our last newsletter of March 4th, over 600 BEAR and SPI invoices for FY 2022 recurring services, filed on February 27th, the extended invoice deadline date, were incorrectly denied by USAC. Quickly acknowledging the error, USAC has notified the affected filers that it will be reprocessing these invoices; appeals will not be required. USAC messages to affected filers were as follows:
Note, as shown in the highlighted portion, that the reprocessed invoices will have a new and different invoice number, but will utilize the filer’s same invoice nickname.
Rather than burden USAC with individual appeal withdrawals, applicants (or service providers), who had immediately filed appeals upon receiving denials, need not rush to cancel those appeals. We understand that USAC will formally dismiss such appeals on their own initiative. If handled in the normal way, applicants will be notified of the dismissals via Revised Funding Commitment Decision Letters (“RFCDLs”).
ACP Wind-Down Status:
The FCC issued a Public Notice last week confirming that, without additional funding from Congress, April 2024 will be the last fully funded month for the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”). Only partial discount funding will be available to ACP subscribers in May. ACP service providers will be required to send program-ending notices to their ACP customers by early next week. The end of ACP-discounted internet services will be a blow to many low-income households and to schools and libraries that have been relying on ACP to support internet access for their students and patrons.
While there remains substantial support within Congress for pending legislation that would provide enough additional funding to extend ACP through the end of 2024, that legislation appears to have stalled. As a practical matter, the passage of that legislation at this point in the FCC’s required wind-down phase would likely create confusion now — and again at the end of 2024 when the process would have to be repeated.
The FCC will be hosting a webinar on the ACP Wind-Down at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 13th, that will be streamed on www.fcc.gov/live.