Upcoming Dates

August 6, 2026

E-Rate FCC Form 470 and Competitive Bidding

This webinar provides E-Rate participants with information on how to file the FCC Form 470 and start the E-Rate competitive bidding process. The webinar will cover topics such as planning your project, ensuring an open and fair competitive bidding process, and common errors. It is for all levels of E-Rate experience, and for both applicants and service providers, with an emphasis on beginner-level participants. Register

August 10, 2026

Deadline Approaching: Update FCC Form 498

On August 10, USAC will start using the banking information in SAM.gov to remit E-Rate disbursements. All E-Rate service providers and BEAR filers (applicants using the FCC Form 472 to receive disbursements) must have an active SAM.gov registration including a bank account and must have added their SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to their FCC Form 498 in EPC to receive disbursements.

Service providers and BEAR filers who have not completed the SAM.gov registration process and added their UEI to EPC can submit invoices, but their payments will be held until these steps are completed.

When submitting E-Rate invoices, please confirm that the FCC Form 498 selected contains your UEI if you have more than one FCC Form 498. USAC recommends deactivating any FCC Forms 498 no longer in use for disbursements. For more information, visit USAC’s SAM.gov UEI Requirement webpage.

September 10, 2026

E-Rate Program Overview

This webinar will provide an overview of the E-Rate application process and explain basic program concepts. We will also highlight recent program changes, including the recent FCC Form 470 updates and managing your Category Two budget. This webinar is intended for program participants of all experience levels and will include a question-and-answer session. Register

September 11, 2026

September 11, 2026: Summer Deferral Ends

USAC processes program forms and requests as promptly as possible to issue timely decisions. If information is missing or incomplete, we may request additional information and/or documentation about your form or request. During this time of year, our most common reason for initiating contact is to obtain more information about your FY2026 FCC Form 471 to complete PIA reviews.

Starting May 22, 2026, if our first attempt to contact you is on or after May 22, and we do not receive a response to our questions, we will put your application(s) on a deferred status and will continue the review of your application(s) sometime after September 11, 2026. This period is known as the “summer deferral period.” During this period, which runs from the Friday before Memorial Day (i.e., May 22, 2026) through the Friday following Labor Day (i.e., September 11, 2026), please note the following:

• You can always contact us or respond to our pending questions to restart the review of your application(s) if you become available before September 11, and we encourage you to do so to expedite the review of your application(s).
• If the PIA reviewer has already contacted you and you wish to designate someone to answer questions in your absence, be sure to send your designee’s contact information to your PIA reviewer. If the PIA reviewer has not contacted you and your designee will be checking your messages, be sure that you have provided written authorization for your designee to answer questions about your application(s).
• If the PIA reviewer makes contact with someone representing your organization but that person is not in a position to answer PIA questions, they should clearly state to the PIA reviewer that the review of your application(s) should remain on hold until you are available.

PIA questions are posted in EPC, and you will also receive an email from EPC notifying you to respond to the questions. Full- and partial-rights users on the organization’s account can see and respond to the PIA questions.

If our first attempt to contact you was before May 22, the automatic summer deferral period does not apply, and you will be required to respond timely to PIA requests. Please respond promptly to any PIA requests for information or documentation. During the summer deferral period, USAC will only continue reviews of forms and requests where documentation has already been received, or participants have responded to information requests sent in EPC. If participants do not respond during these periods, the form or requests will be placed in a deferred status until the deferral period ends, at which time we will continue our regular review process.

September 15, 2026

E-Rate In-Person Training: Phoenix, AZ

USAC is coming to an event near you. E-Rate experts will provide training, discuss program updates, and answer questions from new and experienced participants in Phoenix, AZ, on September 15, 2026, at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, 1375 E. Broadway Road. Register.

September 16, 2026

Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference

Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference (Montgomery, Alabama) from September 16-19, 2026. Event link.

September 24, 2026

E-Rate In-Person Training: Washington DC

USAC is coming to an event near you. E-Rate experts will provide training, discuss program updates, and answer questions from new and experienced participants in Washington, D.C., on September 24, 2026. Register.