Program Integrity

Appeals

Any decision made by USAC or the High Cost Program regarding eligibility, funding, or payment recovery, can be appealed by the impacted party. The appeal may be made to USAC, or to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). USAC encourages parties to appeal first to USAC.

Filing an Appeal

USAC must receive a complete appeal (see “What to Include in an Appeal”) within 60 days of the issuance of the decision by USAC; e.g., a FCL must be appealed within 60 days of the date of the FCL. To allow sufficient time for review, USAC encourages applicants to submit appeals as soon as possible following USAC’s decision.

Failure to provide all required documentation within 60 days of USAC’s decision will result in dismissal of the appeal. See 47 C.F.R. Section 54.719-54.725 for the FCC’s rules on filing an appeal.

What to Include in an Appeal

The following information must be included in a letter of appeal. If USAC is unable to process the appeal because of missing documentation, the appeal will be denied for lack of information.

• Contact information including name, address, telephone number, and email address of the person who can discuss the appeal with USAC in detail;
• Provide documentation of USAC’s decision;
• Identify the carrier name, Study Area Code (SAC), and the decision being appealed;
• Include supporting documentation such as forms and supporting documents;
• Explain the appeal to USAC in as much detail as possible;
• Identify a problem and the reason for its appeal; and
• Explain precisely the relief sought through this appeal.

All appellants will receive acknowledgment of the appeal upon receipt. USAC will review all complete appeals and respond with its decision in writing.

To File an Appeal with USAC:

Letters of appeal may be sent by email or regular U.S. mail.

To File an Appeal with the FCC:

Appeals to the FCC must be made within 60 days of the issuance of USAC’s decision. If appealing a USAC appeal decision, appeals to the FCC must be made within 60 days of the date USAC issued its decision in response to the original appeal.

For more information about submitting appeals to the FCC, including options to submit the appeal via U.S. mail or hand-delivery/messenger delivery, visit the FCC’s website.