E-rate Update: August 30, 2026

Executive Summary

USAC has launched a new Post-Commitment Deadline Tool to significantly enhance tracking of invoicing and compliance statuses. Attention is critical for upcoming deadlines, including the September 11 end of the summer deferral period and the September 30, 2026 deadline for FY2025 non-recurring service delivery extension requests, while the SAM.gov transition for invoices is temporarily delayed.

Important Deadlines & Dates

• September 10, 2026: E-Rate Program Overview Webinar.

• September 11, 2026: End of Summer Deferral Contact Period.

• September 15, 2026: In-Person Training in Phoenix, AZ.

• September 24, 2026: In-Person Training in Washington, D.C.

• September 30, 2026: Deadline to submit FCC Form 500 for FY2025 non-recurring service delivery deadline extensions.

• October 1, 2026: Category Two Budgets Webinar.

• September 30, 2027: Extended Service Delivery Deadline for qualifying FY2025 non-recurring services.

• January 28, 2028: Automatic Invoice Deadline Extension for FY2025 FRNs with extended Service Delivery Deadlines.

Critical Updates

• SAM.gov Transition Delayed: The transition for E-Rate invoice payments (FCC Form 472/BEAR and FCC Form 474/SPI) to SAM.gov banking information has been postponed for additional testing. August invoices will continue using FCC Form 498 banking details. USAC will share a new transition date once determined.

• New Post-Commitment Deadline Tool: A new online tool is available to track critical post-commitment deadlines, including invoicing, FCC Form 473 (SPAC) status, and FCC Form 486 status. It displays remaining invoice balances and filing deadlines, helping identify pending FCC Form 473/SPAC or FCC Form 486 issues that may hold up invoices. The tool offers bar chart, grid, and table summary views.

• FY2025 Service Delivery Deadline Extensions:

  • The standard service delivery deadline for FY2025 non-recurring services (excluding special construction) is Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

  • Applicants can request a one-year extension (to September 30, 2027) by filing an FCC Form 500 by September 30, 2026. On the form, select "I want to request more time to get the services delivered and/or installed."

  • Crucially, if an SDD is extended via FCC Form 500, USAC will automatically extend the invoice deadline for that FRN to January 28, 2028. Do NOT submit a separate Invoice Deadline Date (IDD) extension request concurrently, as this will count against your one-time IDD extension allowance.

  • Automatic extensions apply if USAC issued an FY2025 FCDL or RFCDL on or after March 1, 2026. These FRNs will have an automatic SDD of September 30, 2027.

• FY2027 Competitive Bidding Resources: New resources are available to assist with FY2027 competitive bidding, including:

  • The "How to File an FCC Form 470" learning module and interactive user guide, which covers updated EPC calculations for the Allowable Contract Date (ACD).

  • The "FY2027+ FCC Form 470 Services Guiding Statements Table" to aid in selecting correct dropdowns for services and equipment.

Current Status

• FY2026 Commitments: Wave 16 was released on August 13. Total commitments for FY2026 exceed $1.66 billion as of August 19.

• Cybersecurity Pilot Program: All timely filed Pilot FCC Form 471 applications have been processed. Applications submitted out-of-window (OOW) require a granted FCC waiver. Pilot Program invoices (Pilot FCC Form 472/BEAR and Pilot FCC Form 474/SPI) and post-commitment requests (Pilot FCC Form 488) are still being processed.

• Summer Deferral Period: The summer deferral contact period, which began May 22, ends on Friday, September 11. USAC will resume regular review processes, and forms previously in deferred status will be processed with available information if responses are not provided, potentially leading to funding reductions or denials.