Minutes for August 10, 2005 Service Provider Call

FUNDING COMMITMENTS

We plan to continue to issue funding commitments each week for both FY2005 and FY2004 applications. We also hope to start making Internal Connections commitments soon for FY2005 applications.

FY 2005
Wave 004, 7-20-05: $ 18.170 million
Wave 005, 7-27-05: $ 45.341 million
Wave 006, 8-03-05: $ 67.508 million
Wave 007, 8-10-05: $ 27.939 million

FY 2004
Wave 025, 7-18-05: $ 17.437 million
Wave 026, 7-26-05: $ 2.148 million
Wave 027, 8-02-05: $ 5.886 million
Wave 028, 8-09-05: $ 2.245 million

FY 2003
Wave 40B, 8-08-05: $ 217 thousand

FY2002
Wave 30R, 8-01-05: $ 20.975 million

FY2001
Wave 15W, 8-01-05: $ 14.511 million


B.	ELIGIBLE PRODUCTS DATABASE / ONLINE ITEM 21 ATTACHMENT Phase 1 of the Eligible Products Database upgrade is complete. On July 26, we updated our web documentation, and have posted a new template for manufacturers to upload their products. All submissions to the Eligible Products Database should be on the new template as the old template has been disabled. To submit information, please go to the Manufacturer Login Page of the EPD and download the new template.

C.	FORM 486 NOTIFICATION LETTERS FOR FY2005 Form 486 Notification Letters are now being issued for FY2005. Batches of these letters are issued weekly for each funding year; there will be over 2,600 applicant letters and just under 1,000 service provider letters in the first batch for FY2005, which was issued August 10.

D.	FORM 486 SERVICE START DATE GUIDANCE We know that both applicants and service providers have questions about what event should determine the Service Start Date reported on the Form 486. We are working on web site guidance on this issue, which we hope to be able to post soon.

E.	APPLICANT PINs We are moving forward with our plan to develop an applicant PIN that is convenient and easier to use. We hope to thereby greatly reduce the number of form certifications filed on paper, which will in turn speed processing of FY2006 applications.

F.	INVOICING UPDATE Payment status for July 2005: 26,628 line items were processed for 4,491 service providers; 22,766 or 85% of these items were processed within 7 days. Total disbursements for July totaled $113,653,616.40. The requested amount was $155,820,491.48, which reflects a 73% eligibility of request to payment ratio. In Process status as of August 10, 2005: 3,560 items valued at $48,559,836.08 were in process over 90 days. This is 23% of the total $208,612,158.65 to be reviewed.

OTHER

No updates to report.

GENERAL QUESTIONS RECEIVED BY E-MAIL

Q.	There is some discussion that SLD is considering shortening the Form 471 filing window by not opening the window until January but keeping a February closing date. Please clarify this as well as explain the reasoning behind this recommendation. Also, please discuss whether or not the delay in opening the window will allow SLD/FCC/USAC to continue to make program changes until the opening of the filing window (e.g. January, 2006). If program changes are allowed up to the opening of the filing window, the later opening date will make it very difficult for everyone involved. In order for us to work with the program we need to have a finalized Form 471 as well as final instructions and eligible services list as early as possible. Every time rules/procedures are changed, it affects training for applicants and service providers. Additionally if program changes are made late in the filing cycle, these changes can also require re-posting of Forms 470 and re-bidding which can cause delays and complications in the application process. ). - Debi Sovereign
A.	USAC’s current plan is to open the window in mid-November and close the window in mid-January, as we have in past years. Please remember that, following the guidance in the Third Report and Order (FCC 03-323, released December 23, 2003), the window will not open sooner than 60 days after the FCC issues the final FY2006 Eligible Services List.

Q.	We have received disbursements for less then the amount originally approved but without an explanation. Does the SLD adjust a Funding Commitment after a Form 486 is approved, or remove approved items from an invoice? - Generic question compiled from several questions.
A.	Funding commitments are reduced by USAC in two ways: by means of a Commitment Adjustment Letter or as a consequence of an adjustment to a Service Start Date on a Form 486 Notification Letter. Adjustments to invoices may occur if items listed on the invoice are ineligible. Rather than deny the invoice and require that a corrected invoice be resubmitted, USAC will pay only the eligible portion. The amount paid may reflect adjustments made because of ineligible locations, ineligible prorated amounts, ineligible equipment or other issues. An explanation for any reduction will be found on the remittance statement. However, because the amount of space on the remittance statement may not allow a full explanation, USAC is working a means to provide more information in the future.

Q.	I have had schools and libraries in our service area contact me and say they have completed their 486 as early as June 30, 2005 and wonder why they are not receiving their discounts yet. We have not received any 486 comfirmation letters yet. Is there a reason Funding for Year 2005 is being released so slowly? - Garnet Fladager, NEMONT TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE, INC. - MT
A.	As discussed above, Form 486 Notification Letters are now being issued. Batches are sent out weekly, and we are current in our processing (in other words, there is no backlog).

Q.	Have all FY2005 applications been processed? Have all FY2005 grants been made and announced? In your "Billed Entity Search" data you not appear to list useful information such as the name of the contact person, their telephone number or email address. Is this available and, if so, where and how is it accessible? - Gregg Daffner
A.	We are still processing FY2005 applications, so the commitment process is not complete. As discussed above, we are hoping to start issuing Internal Connections commitments soon. Contact information for applicants is not available in the Billed Entity Search, but can be obtained from the Form 470 search tools referenced below.

Q.	You list the Form 471 Applications Status but how do we access the submitted Form 470 Requests for Funding? Is there a search engine or research tool available to access the Form 470 Requests by search other than by State (e.g., by type of service requested, size of funding request etc) - Gregg Daffner
A.	There are two tools available for accessing Form 470 information. To get to the Form 470 download tool, click on the gold Service Providers menu bar and then the Download Reports link in the right-hand column of text. To get to the Search Posted Forms 470 tool, click on either of the Apply Online links and then click on the Search Posted button in the Form 470 column. Each tool requires certain information and will return different results, so read the descriptions carefully.

Q.	When will FY2006 applications be accepted for filing? When will FY2006 applications window be closed? When will FY2006 applications be processed? When will FY2006 grants be made and announced? ) - Gregg Daffner
A.	As mentioned above, the Form 471 application filing window dates for FY2006 have not yet been set. While USAC is looking at a number of improvements to make the application process easier and more accurate, we cannot yet give an estimate of when FY2006 applications will be processed or when commitments will be made.

REMINDER: PLEASE SEND YOUR QUESTIONS FOR THE NEXT SERVICE PROVIDER CALL USING THE SUBMIT A QUESTION LINK ON THE WEBSITE BY COB ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2005.

PLEASE CHOOSE "SERVICE PROVIDER CONFERENCE CALL" FROM THE TOPIC INQUIRY AND THEN CHOOSE "I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR THE CALL" SO THAT YOUR QUESTION IS ROUTED CORRECTLY.
IF YOUR QUESTION IS RELATED TO INVOICING, PLEASE CHOOSE "SERVICE PROVIDER CONFERENCE CALL" AND "I HAVE A PROGRAM QUESTION PERTAINING TO INVOICING" SO THAT YOUR QUESTION IS ROUTED DIRECTLY TO OUR INVOICING TEAM.

ALSO, PLEASE WATCH THE SLD WEBSITE FOR ANY PROGRAM UPDATES.

Content Last Modified: August 11, 2005