Let’s Wrap Up FY 2017 and FY 2018!

September 14, 2018

Updated: FY 2018 Form 486 Not Yet Filed as of Sept 12

Happy back-to-school, E-raters!  Before we kick off Funding Year 2019, let’s wrap up some loose ends related to FY 2017 and FY 2018.

- Funding Year 2017 -

  • Don’t Forget to File FY 2017 BEARs:  FY 2017 officially ended June 30, 2018 for recurring services (mostly Category 1 and Basic Maintenance), and therefore applicants have until October 28, 2018 (120-days after June 30) to file BEARs for FRNs where their vendors did not provide discounted bills (in those cases, vendors file SPIs to seek reimbursements).  For non-recurring services/equipment (mostly Category 2 internal connections), applicants have until September 30, 2018 to purchase and install this equipment, and the deadline to file those BEARs will be January 28, 2019 (120 days after September 30).  If you are unsure whether you need to file a BEAR, or how to file the BEAR, please refer to my listserve message from September 8:  http://e-ratepa.org/?p=27011.  I will continue to send BEAR reminder e-mails and lists to the listserve through the end of October so no one misses this important deadline.
  • Need Extra Time to Purchase/Install Equipment?:  If you were funded for Category 2 equipment and have a valid reason why it has not yet been purchased and/or installed, you should request a Service Delivery Deadline Extension (SDDE).  The SDDE must be filed by September 30, 2018, using the Form 500 in EPC.   To see a list of possibly-affected entities, see http://e-ratepa.org/?p=27111.   But anyone who needs additional time to purchase/install the equipment may request the extension. If you are unsure whether your reason is ‘valid,’ please contact me.

- Funding Year 2018 -

  • Status of FY 2018 Funding Requests:  About 96% of all PA funding requests have been decided, which is great news.  The last three funding waves have not included any PA applicants, which is why you haven’t seen a weekly wave notice.
  • Status of Fiber-Related Funding Requests:  Many of the remaining 120 FRNs that have not yet been decided are for leased dark fiber and self-construction fiber networks.  The reason these decisions have been delayed is because the FCC and USAC were still working on the exact PIA review procedures/questions for these types of requests.  I am pleased to report that the log-jam appears to have broken this morning, as several PA applicants received FCDLs for their leased dark fiber funding requests in Wave 23.  This also means that the other pending fiber FRNs should be hearing from PIA very soon with additional questions about these FRNs so please be on the look-out for USAC e-mails and be sure to respond quickly.  Often, vendor assistance is needed for these inquiries, so it’s important to reach out to them quickly if needed so you can reply to USAC by your deadline.
  • Don’t forget to file FY 2018 Form 486s – The Form 486 tells USAC that you are CIPA compliant and services have started, and is due no later than 120 days from the FCDL date or July 1, whichever is later.  The Form 486 deadline for applicants funded in waves 1 – 12 have a Form 486 deadline of October 28, 2018.  Attached to this message is a list of all FRNs for which no 486 has yet been filed (including FRNs that were very recently funded but whose due date is not until December).  If your FRN is NOT on the list, it means it is still pending at USAC or you’ve already filed your 486.  If your name IS on this list, please file your 486 in EPC.  See http://e-ratepa.org/?p=25591 for a copy of the Form 486 Filing Guide.  Don’t forget – please don’t get “click happy” on the CIPA certifications as this will land your 486 in manual review and delay its approval significantly.

If you have any questions about FY 2017 and FY 2018 remaining items, please don’t hesitate to contact me!  FY 2019 – Here we come!

– Julie

Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
717-730-9060 – f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org

Site graciously hosted by the Capital Area IU 15 | Site designed and maintained by Silver Penny Studio