Please be reminded of the upcoming due date for the Reports listed below: 

Form 499-A Annual Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet

All intrastate, interstate and international providers of telecommunications within the United States, including, but not limited to, VoIP providers, telecommunications providers that provide telecommunications on a non-common carrier basis, and payphone providers that are aggregators, are required to file FCC Form 499-A with the Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) each year with limited exceptions.  The Form 499-A is used to determine a company’s required contribution to the Universal Service Fund (“USF”), as well as to the Local Number Portability Administration (“LNPA”), North American Numbering Plan Administration (“NANPA”) and Telecommunications Relay Service (“TRS”) funds, and is the basis for a carrier’s annual FCC regulatory fee.  For new providers, the Form 499-A also serves as a carrier’s FCC registration.  

The Form 499-A worksheet, reporting CY 2015 revenues, must be filed by April 1, 2016.  (The FCC registration is due upon the provision of service and can be filed at any time.)   Filers are required to submit the Form 499-A electronically through USAC’s E-File system.  

Any revisions to a filer’s 2015 Form 499-A (reporting CY 2014 revenues) which effect a reduction in the filer’s USF obligations are due by March 31, 2016.  There is no deadline for Form 499-A revisions that result in an increased contribution obligation.  

Accessibility Recordkeeping Compliance and Contact Information Reporting Requirement

Telecommunications service providers, providers of advanced communications services (“ACS”), interconnected VoIP providers (collectively, “service providers”) and equipment manufacturers, subject to sections 255, 716 and 718 of the Communications Act (as amended by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (“CVAA”)), are required to comply, subject to certain exceptions, with recordkeeping requirements to demonstrate that services and equipment are accessible by individuals with disabilities.  Sections 716-718 of the Communications Act and the rules implementing those sections detail these accessibility requirements.   

Service providers and equipment manufacturers must submit an annual certification that records are being kept in accordance with the rules.  The certification must state that the service provider or manufacturer has established operating procedures to ensure compliance with the recordkeeping requirements and that records are being kept accordingly.  An authorized officer with personal knowledge of the representations in the certification, must submit an affidavit or declaration, executed under penalty of perjury, verifying the truth and accuracy of the certification.  The certification also must include contact information for the person(s) responsible for resolving consumer complaints and the agent designated for service of formal and informal complaints.  

The certification must be submitted by April 1, 2016 utilizing the Federal Communications Commission’s online filing system which can be found at https://apps.fcc.gov/rccci-registry/login!input.action.

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