The FCC issued its latest monthly set of “streamlined,” precedent-based decisions in Public Notice DA 16-860. In summary, the FCC:
- Dismissed
- Two appeals that should have been submitted initially to USAC.
- Four waivers or appeals on which USAC had already acted as requested.
- One Petition for Reconsideration not submitted within the 30-day window.
- Granted
- Two appeals dealing with eligible services.
- Two requests for additional time to respond to a PIA request.
- Sixteen requests for Form 471window waivers, most filed within 14 days of the deadline.
- Three individual requests for review of a ministerial and/or clerical error, a service substitution, and a signed contract requirement.
- Two partially granted requests to allow deduction of ineligible costs.
- Denied
- Three separate and extensive requests for review of service eligibility for FY 2004 and FY 2005.
- One request for review or waiver involving “Inadequate Specificity” on a Form 470 (including use of “District-Wide” as a measure of scope of services).
- Twelve more waiver requests for invoice deadline extensions.
- Twenty requests for Form 471window waivers for applications filed more than 14 days late.
- Two late filed appeals.
One interesting aspect of many of these decisions was the difference in flexibility afforded, or not afforded, applicants seeking deadline waivers. In some cases, the FCC simply referenced “special circumstances,” a somewhat subjective term. Two more specific decisions granting waivers referred to “delays beyond its control from a school reorganization” (actually a transition in governing agencies) and “due to an unexpected serious illness or death.” Showing virtually no flexibility, all requests for invoice extensions — apparently the most heinous of E-rate requests — were denied absent “extraordinary” circumstances.
File Along with Me:
A link to last week’s “File Along with Me” posting is provided below. You can subscribe to the blog by entering your email address on the blog’s home page (under the USAC logo), and confirming the resulting email.
Post No. Title
- What to Do When You Get Your Funding Commitment
Form 486 Deadlines for August:
The Form 486 deadline for certifying the start of service (and CIPA compliance, if applicable) is 120 days from the later of the FCDL approval date or the start of service date. The deadlines for approved FY 2015 applications for the remainder of August (adjusted for weekends and holidays) are:
Wave 45 08/12/2016
Wave 46 08/19/2016
Wave 47 08/26/2016
The first Form 486 deadline for FY 2016 (Wave 1) will be October 31, 2016.