A.

Funding Commitments for FY2008 and FY2007
 
For FY2008, USAC is currently denying Priority 2 funding requests at 86% and below and funding approved requests at 88% and above.

Here is a list of the current funding commitments issued since the last call:

For FY2007, USAC is denying Priority 2 funding requests at 80% and below and funding approved requests at 81% and above.

Here is a list of the current funding commitments issued since the last call:

B.

FY2009 RAL Corrections

For the last few years, applicants have been able to request corrections to certain fields on their timely certified Forms 471 through the Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL) correction process. This involves making a copy of the RAL and marking the changes to the right of the incorrect information. In some cases – for example, changes to the recipients of service on a Block 4 worksheet – the applicants must print out a copy of the worksheet from the 471 Display function on the USAC website and mark up the worksheet.

Because you receive a copy of the RAL, you may notice that information on the RAL – and therefore the Form 471 – is incorrect. Although only applicants can request corrections, it would be a good idea to inform applicants of any incorrect information that you notice.

C.

Suggestions for Spring 2009 Service Provider Training

As in past years, USAC plans to conduct two one-day training sessions for service providers, one in the eastern half of the country and one in the western half. Generally the timeframe for this training is early May. This training is specifically targeted to service providers.

If you have suggestions for dates, topics, or specific materials you would like us to cover, please submit them as you would Submit a Question for this call. (See below.)

D.

Invoicing Update

Payments for the month of February totaled $122,300,093.57 against requests for $166.8M. In total, 7,440 invoices were processed for 1,355 service providers. This represented 28,176 lines in February with 97% being completed within 30 days.

There are 731 lines in process as of March 4.

Service Certifications

After an invoice is submitted, USAC may request a service certification to allow the applicant to verify that services have been delivered. The service certification must be completed by the applicant.

Each service certification sent by USAC for completion is tied to a specific invoice. Service providers SHOULD NOT:

• Use a previously signed or completed service certification from an earlier invoice.
• Submit a service certification before filing of a SPI Form 474.
• Prepare and submit their own version of a service certification.

E.

Form 473, Service Provider Annual Certification Form

Make sure you have submitted a Form 473 for FY2009. USAC will not pay an invoice (BEAR Form 472 or SPI Form 474) for services for a funding year unless a Form 473 is on file for that funding year.

Other

We are working on the FY2009 Demand Estimate. After we have submitted it to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), we will post it on our website and announce it in that week's Schools and Libraries News Brief.

General Questions Received by E-mail

1. I see that my question from the December 3rd call has finally been answered and I want to say thank you for your well thought out and complete answer. While this confirmed my thoughts on this subject, something you stated brought up another question.

   You stated that "If the applicant includes the DO in an FRN featuring the three 90% schools and the DO - and the FRN is filed with a 90% discount rate - the discount may be adjusted during PIA review."

   Can you elaborate on how the discount may be adjusted? I am sure it would not be adjusted down to the 82% discount level, but I am not sure how you would adjust it or why. If the products/services at the DO are going to be cost allocated anyway, why would you need to reduce the discount level as well since the district would only be seeking discounts on the products or services going to the applied for sites and would be paying 100% of the products or services going to the other sites? If you reduced the discount as well for the whole FRN, wouldn't the district end up being penalized twice (once in the Cost Allocation and again in the reduced discount)?

   Again thank you for your clarification on this matter.

   PIA will adjust the non-matrix discount reported for the District Office if that discount does not agree with the weighted average discount calculated for the School District as a whole.