On July 17, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission announced that they will be releasing an “enhanced Payment Portal” through their Commission Registration System (CORES.) Stating the requirement to comply with Department of Treasury systems, the new portal will:
- “Allow users to retrieve financial data for the FRNs they manage,2 including red and green light status, open bills,3 any other remittances generated from any FCC system that are awaiting payment completion, and payment history.
- Permit users to select the type of payment they would like to make from an enhanced CORES payment selection screen.
- Utilize the Department of Treasury’s supported technology to complete online (credit card and ACH) payments.
- Enhance and strengthen security.”
While it is not anticipated that this change will affect the receipt of BEAR or SPI disbursements to E-rate program participants, the process will change for users needing to check FCC Red Light status and/or pay fees. More information about the enhancements may be found here
