What to Expect After Filing

As part of the role of administrator for the Universal Service Fund, USAC routinely monitors and reviews the data as submitted by carriers to look for potential errors or to identify large changes in company revenues. USAC may contact companies via email or telephone to request additional information or supporting documentation in accordance with the FCC Forms 499-A/Q instructions.

Once USAC has completed its review and has determined that a form does not contain any issues, the form’s status is updated to “DCA Approved.” An email will be sent to the Preparer listed on the form to notify them that the form has been approved. This notice will include the percent change in reported revenues from the last FCC Form 499-A filing submitted.

Form Status in E-File

You are able to determine the status of an FCC Form 499-A or FCC Form 499-Q at any point during data entry, submission for certification from a Company Officer, or submission to USAC. Determine the form status by reviewing the “Search Forms” screen in E-File for each Filer ID.

Here are the possible terms you will find in the “Status” column for each Filer ID’s individual forms:

FCC Forms 499 Status	Description
Not Started	This status indicates no form exists in E-File for the filing period.  The form has not been started by the user nor has USAC generated an estimated form.
Incomplete	This form is incomplete. The 499 User/Company Officer has saved information in USAC’s E-File system but has not certified the information.  USAC will not use any information on the form for universal service purposes nor will we transfer any data to third party administrators.
Pending Officer Approval	This form has been verified by the 499 User but is awaiting final Company Officer certification of the data within E-File.
Pending Officer Approval – OPR	This form has been verified by the 499 User but is awaiting final Company Officer certification of the data within E-File. OPR stands for “Out of Period Revision” meaning this form was submitted outside the revision window. USAC will not transmit any data from this form to the other fund administrators, and USAC will not use any information on the form for universal service purposes.
USAC Estimate	USAC has created an estimate for the purposes of forecasting contribution obligations. This status is often seen with FCC Form 499-Q filings for de minimis companies that are not required to file the FCC Form 499-Q while their revenue projections indicate that they will remain de minimis in the reporting filing period.
Certified	This form is complete and the information has been certified by a Company Officer. No further action is required at this time.
Pending Review	This form is complete and the information has been certified by a Company Officer. This form is under review by USAC because it was submitted outside the revision window. USAC will notify the filer via email whether the form has been accepted or rejected. USAC will not transmit any data from this form to the other fund administrators, and USAC will not use any information on the form for universal service purposes.
Approved	A certified form has been received by USAC; USAC has reviewed the data and determined that no data points require clarification. No further action is required.
Issue – Response Required	A certified form has been received by USAC; USAC has reviewed the data and has reached out to the 499 User for further clarification about their filing. If the company does not respond, USAC will treat this filing as an estimate and reverse any credits issued to the company through the true up process.
Not Approved – Out of Period	A revised form received outside of the revisions submission period has been reviewed by USAC, and has been rejected. USAC will not transmit any data from this form to the other fund administrators, and USAC will not use any information on the form for universal service purposes.

Note that until form information is certified by a Company Officer, the revenue submission process is not complete. If a filing is more than 30 days delinquent, USAC will assess a late filing sanction.