On December 28, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released decisions related to requests for review, requests for waiver, and petitions for reconsideration of E-rate beneficiaries. The FCC dismissed 4 appeals, granted 26, and denied 33 on various grounds.
Appeals involving the following issues were granted:
- Appeal or Waiver Filed Few Days Late
- Appeal or Waiver Timely Filed Based on Actual Notice
- Granting Service Delivery Extension
- Invoice Deadline Extension Requests
- Late-Filed FCC Form 486
- Ministerial and/or Clerical Errors
- Proper Bid Evaluation
- Unable to Timely File Awaiting USAC Action
- Waiver of Competitive Bidding Requirement to Comply with State and Local Procurement Rules
- Waiver of Service Delivery Deadline
Meanwhile, the FCC denied appeals involving the following issues:
- Invoice Deadline Extension Requests
- Late-Filed FCC Form 471 Applications
- Relying on FCC Form 470 That Did Not Seek Bids on Types of E-Rate Services Later Requested
- Untimely-Filed Appeals or Waiver Requests
The streamlined appeal decisions can be viewed here. The FCC directs USAC to complete its review of successful applications and issue a funding commitment or denial based on a complete review and analysis no later than 90 calendar days from the release of the Order.
