Fund Administration

Helpful Hints for Contributor Companies

FCC Report and Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – June 27, 2006

Interconnected VoIP Providers – Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers that do not have a USAC Filer ID must submit a FCC Form 499-A to obtain the Filer ID. First-time filers must print and mail an officer signed form to be issued a Filer ID. Only pages 1-3 & 8 should be filled out for registration; you do not need to provide revenue data with this form.

  • You can find a copy of the registration-only FCC Form 499-A here.
  • All non-de minimis interconnected VoIP providers must file a FCC Form 499-Q by August 1, 2006.VoIP providers that already have a USAC Filer ID can file their forms online at http://forms.usac.org/usaclogin/login.html.
  • The FCC has established a safe harbor of 64.9% for interconnected VoIP providers.  Any company wishing to use traffic studies to report actual interstate revenues provide that data in your form filings with USAC. 

Wireless Providers – The FCC has increased the safe harbor to 37.1% of revenue that is subject to the USF contribution factor. Any wireless telephony provider that uses a traffic study to determine its actual interstate revenues must provide that data in your quarterly FCC Form 499-Q filings with USAC.

General Contributor Filing Information:

All FCC Form 499-Q filers must file revenue data as described below.

499 Due Date:

Revenue Reported on Form:

Used for USF invoicing:

August 1, 2006
(Form 499-Q)

2Q06: April – June 2006 actual billed revenue
4Q06: Oct. – Dec. 2006 projected billed & projected collected revenue

N/A
Oct. – Dec. 2006

 

De Minimis Companies – Telecommunications providers qualifying for the USF De Minimis Exemption (using the process outlined on page 5 of the Form 499-Q instructions**) do not need to complete an FCC Form 499-Q. However, all telecommunications providers must file an annual April 1 FCC Form 499-A.
**Note: Please take into account the changes to the USF Contribution Factor over previous quarters when estimating the contribution factor used on Line 16 of the De Minimis worksheet.

USF Contributor Companies – If you do not qualify for the De Minimis exemption, your FCC Form 499-Q must be received by the Data Collection Agent by Tuesday, August 1, 2006.  Late filing fees will be assessed for forms received after this due date. When e-filing, the form must be certified by an officer by Tuesday August 1, 2006 to be received on time.  

Mail your completed FCC Form 499-Q to:

Form 499 Data Collection Agent
Attn: USAC Customer Service
2000 L Street, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036

For questions about Form 499, call the 499 Data Collection staff at 888-641-8722 option #2, then #1, or e-mail Form499@usac.org.

RESOURCES

USAC’s Fund Administration page for contributors at http://www.usac.org/fund-administration/contributors/.

USAC’s Revenue Reporting page at http://www.usac.org/fund-administration/contributors/revenue-reporting/default.aspx.

The FCC released an order (FCC 02-329) December 13, 2002, requiring that all contributors file four quarterly FCC Form 499-Q worksheets reporting projected as well as historic revenue data throughout the year in addition to the annual FCC Form 499-A due each April. The order can be found at http://www.usac.org/_res/documents/about/pdf/fcc-orders/2002-fcc-orders/FCC-02-329.pdf.

FCC BROADBAND ORDER
On September 23, 2005, the Federal Communications Commission released an order (FCC 05-150) that, among other things, classified wireline broadband Internet access service as an information service. Paragraph 113 of the Wireline Broadband Order sets forth the contribution obligations for facilities-based providers of wireline broadband Internet access services when they are no longer subject to mandatory contribution during a 270-day period following the effective date of this order or until the FCC adopts new contribution rules in its Contribution Methodology proceeding, whichever occurs earlier.   Filers using DSL transmission as a component of their wireline broadband Internet access service should review this paragraph and contact Greg Guice of the FCC’s Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-0095 with any questions. The order can be found at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-150A1.pdf.


HELPFUL HINTS FOR CONTRIBUTOR COMPANIES

Please review the formula on Page 5 of the Form 499-Q instructions to determine if your company has a direct obligation to contribute to USF.  These “Helpful Hints” are specifically designed for companies that are not De Minimis and have a contribution requirement and must file the FCC Form 499-Q.  Please read the items below (and the Form 499-Q Instructions) carefully. 

  • Please include your Filer 499 ID (8XXXXX) on any document sent to the Form 499 Data Collection Agent. 
  • If there has been any change in the “Legal Name of Carrier” or Mergers/ Acquisitions since your last filing, please explain that change in a letter attached to the filed worksheet and INCLUDE SUPPORTING LEGAL DOCUMENTATION (i.e. Certificate of Merger, Purchase Agreement, Bill of Sale, Articles of Amendment, etc.) for proper account identification and tracking. 
  • The FCC’s deadline for receiving revised worksheets of Form 499-Qs due in 2006 are as follows (please mark the revision indicator on Line 128):

FCC Form 499-Q Due Date

FCC Form 499-Q Revision Deadline Date

February 1, 2006

March 20, 2006

May 1, 2006

June 15, 2006

August 1, 2006

September 15, 2006

November 1, 2006

December 18, 2006

NOTE: Any change and/or correction to a Form 499-Q after the revision deadline date should be reflected on the FCC Form 499-A due April 1, 2006.

  • For guidance on reporting revenue data on Block 3, Lines 115-118 of the Form 499-Q see the following parallel Lines from the April 1, 2006 FCC Form 499-A below. 

Lines 115 through 118 are to report HISTORICAL BILLED REVENUE.

FCC Form 499-Q Line

Parallel FCC Form 499-A Lines

Line 115 (A), (B) and (C)

Lines 303 (A), (D) and (E) through 314 (A), (D) and (E)

Line 116 (A), (B) and (C)

Lines 403 (A), (D) and (E) through 411 (A), (D) and (E) and
Lines 413 (A), (D) and (E) through 417 (A), (D) and (E)

Line 117 (A)

Line 412 (A) and Line 418 (A)

Line 118 (A)

Line 419 (A)
  • For guidance on reporting revenue data on Block 3, Line 119 of the Form 499-Q see the parallel Lines from the April 1, 2006 FCC Form 499-A below. 

Line 119 is to report PROJECTED BILLED REVENUE.

FCC Form 499-Q Line

Parallel FCC Form 499-A Lines

Line 119 (B) and (C)

Lines 403 (D) and (E) through 411 (D) and (E) and
Lines 413 (D) and (E) through 417 (D) and (E)

  • For guidance on reporting revenue data on Block 3, Line 120 of the 499-Q Form, see the parallel Lines from the April 1, 2006 FCC Form 499-A below. 

Line 120 is to report PROJECTED COLLECTED REVENUE.

FCC Form 499-Q Line

Parallel FCC Form 499-A Lines

Line 120 (B) and (C)

Lines 403 (D) and (E) through 411 (D) and (E) and
Lines 413 (D) and (E) through 417 (D) and (E)

 

The FCC adopted new guidelines for reporting interstate/ international percentages for wireless telecommunications revenues and added VoIP providers as contributors to the USF.  The FCC provided “safe-harbor” percentages to be used as follows: 

Type of Provider

Percent of Revenue Subject to Contribution Factor

Cellular and Broadband PCS Service

    37.1%

Paging Service

12%

Analog Specialized Mobile Radio

  1%

Voice-over-Internet Protocol

   64.9%

 

The December 13, 2002 Order also introduced an “all-or-nothing rule.” The “all-or-nothing” rule requires a telecommunications company to choose either to report actual revenues or to use the safe harbor percentage for all of its affiliated legal entities. The same method must be used by all affiliates.

  • Do not subtract international settlement payments from revenue reported. Do not report negative amounts in Block 3.
  • Any charge that is included on a bill in order to recover contributions must be included on Lines 116, 119 and 120.  Please note that federal universal service pass-through charges are considered 100% interstate and should be reported in Column (B) on the Form 499-Q worksheet.
  • Federal Subscriber Line Charges are to be considered 100% interstate and should be included on Lines 116, 119 and 120 in Column (B).
  • To receive a date-stamped receipt of your filing, please include a self-addressed, STAMPED envelope and a photocopy of the form.  This request cannot be processed without these items.
  • Please check Box 121 if you want to request FCC nondisclosure of the data on the Form 499-Q.
  • Forms without OFFICER SIGNATURE in ink will be returned as incomplete forms.
The Form 499 Data Collection Staff

is available to help you!
Telephone:
888/641-8722 option #2, then #1   
E-Mail:
Form499@usac.org
The Web:
www.usac.org

 


Last modified on 2/12/2008