The USAC Board is recommending specific dates for the establishment of the Form 471 Filing Window for Funding Year 2010. The Board will request authorization to accept Forms 471 between Noon Eastern Time on December 1, 2009 and 11:59 PM Eastern Time on February 15, 2010. If approved as recommended, the Filing Window would be open for 77 days.

The USAC Schools and Libraries Committee will request authorization to fund FY 2009 E-rate funding year priority two requests at 80%. This decision comes during their Quarterly Board Meeting which was held today. The request now moves to the FCC for final approval. If the measure is approved, E-rate applicants may start to receive notifications within a few weeks of FCC authorization.

In two separate items released today, the FCC is seeking comments on two specific appeal decision orders issued in recent months. The Orders at issue are the Lazo Order and the Integrity Order.

The United States Department of Justice is reporting that AT&T Missouri is agreeing to pay $1.4 million to the United States as part of a settlement related to a civil case related to the E-rate Program.

EDMOND, OKLA. (Oct. 7, 2009) - In 2008, through the E-rate program, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools received more than $1 million in funding for vital telecommunications services such as phone and Internet connections.  E-rate Manager for Applicants, an online suite of tools developed by Funds For Learning, LLC, played a key role in helping the district track and manage the E-rate program.

The FCC has released a Public Notice seeking nominations for six board member positions on the USAC Board of Directors.The current slate of board members' terms are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2009.  All nominations are due by November 1, 2009.

In a solicitation for bids, the FCC has announced that it is seeking a contractor to conduct a survey of all E-rate program participants about the current state of their broadband access and usage.

In a Public Notice, the FCC announced that disbursements made under all Universal Service programs--including the E-rate program--will be transitioning to an eletronic-only format. This change will affect E-rate service providers who currently receive disbursements via paper check for Forms 473 (SPI) and 472 (BEAR).The move does not affect how reimbursements are issued to E-rate applicants from service providers.

Mel Blackwell, the Vice-President of the Schools and Libraries Division of USAC, has just announced that the Priority Two discount percentage threshold for E-rate Funding Year 2009 may go to 80% or lower. This is an estimate that he provided during the Schools and Libraries Fall Applicant Training event currently underway in the Washington, DC area.

The Schools and Libraries Division of USAC has started its series of training events for E-rate Applicants. Today's training session, held in the Washington, DC area, is the first of eight sessions throughout the country designed to equip applicants for success.