Contents

   Subpart A—General Information
   § 54.1   Basis and purpose.
   § 54.5   Terms and definitions.
   § 54.7   Intended use of federal universal service support.
   § 54.8   Prohibition on participation: suspension and debarment.
   § 54.9   Prohibition on use of funds.
   § 54.10   Prohibition on use of certain Federal subsidies.
   § 54.11   Requirement to remove and replace.

   Subpart B—Services Designated for Support
   § 54.101   Supported services for rural, insular, and high cost areas.

   Subpart C—Carriers Eligible for Universal Service Support
   § 54.201   Definition of eligible telecommunications carriers,
   generally.
   § 54.202   Additional requirements for Commission designation of
   eligible telecommunications carriers.
   § 54.203   Designation of eligible telecommunications carriers for
   unserved areas.
   § 54.205   Relinquishment of universal service.
   § 54.207   Service areas.

   Subpart D—Universal Service Support for High Cost Areas
   § 54.302   Monthly per-line limit on universal service support.
   § 54.303   Eligible Capital Investment and Operating Expenses.
   § 54.304   Administration of Connect America Fund Intercarrier
   Compensation Replacement.
   § 54.305   Sale or transfer of exchanges.
   § 54.306   Alaska Plan for Rate-of-Return Carriers Serving Alaska.
   § 54.307   Support to a competitive eligible telecommunications carrier.
   § 54.308   Broadband public interest obligations for recipients of
   high-cost support.
   § 54.309   Connect America Fund Phase II Public Interest Obligations.
   § 54.310   Connect America Fund for Price Cap Territories—Phase II.
   § 54.311   Connect America Fund Alternative-Connect America Cost Model
   Support.
   § 54.312   Connect America Fund for Price Cap Territories—Phase I.
   § 54.313   Annual reporting requirements for high-cost recipients.
   § 54.314   Certification of support for eligible telecommunications
   carriers.
   § 54.315   Application process for Connect America Fund phase II support
   distributed through competitive bidding.
   § 54.316   Broadband deployment reporting and certification requirements
   for high-cost recipients.
   § 54.317   Alaska Plan for competitive eligible telecommunications
   carriers serving remote Alaska.
   § 54.318   [Reserved]
   § 54.319   Elimination of high-cost support in areas with 100 percent
   coverage by an unsubsidized competitor.
   § 54.320   Compliance and recordkeeping for the high-cost program.
   § 54.321   Reporting and certification requirements for Alaska Plan
   participants.
   § 54.322   Public interest obligations and performance requirements,
   reporting requirements, and non-compliance mechanisms for mobile legacy
   high-cost support recipients.

   Subpart E—Universal Service Support for Low-Income Consumers
   54.400   Terms and definitions.
   § 54.401   Lifeline defined.
   § 54.403   Lifeline support amount.
   § 54.404   The National Lifeline Accountability Database.
   § 54.405   Carrier obligation to offer Lifeline.
   § 54.406   Activities of representatives of eligible telecommunications
   carriers.
   § 54.407   Reimbursement for offering Lifeline.
   § 54.408   Minimum service standards.
   § 54.409   Consumer qualification for Lifeline.
   § 54.410   Subscriber eligibility determination and certification.
   § 54.411   [Reserved]
   § 54.412   Off reservation Tribal lands designation process.
   § 54.413   Link Up for rural Tribal lands.
   § 54.414   Reimbursement for Tribal Link Up.
   § 54.416   Annual certifications by eligible telecommunications
   carriers.
   § 54.417   Recordkeeping requirements.
   § 54.419   Validity of electronic signatures.
   § 54.420   Low income program audits.
   § 54.422   Annual reporting for eligible telecommunications carriers
   that receive low-income support.
   § 54.423   Budget.

   Subpart F—Universal Service Support for Schools and Libraries
   § 54.500   Terms and definitions.
   § 54.501   Eligible recipients.
   § 54.502   Eligible services.
   § 54.503   Competitive bidding requirements.
   § 54.504   Requests for services.
   § 54.505   Discounts.
   § 54.506   [Reserved]
   § 54.507   Cap.
   § § 54.508-54.509   [Reserved]
   § 54.511   Ordering services.
   § 54.513   Resale and transfer of services.
   § 54.514   Payment for discounted services.
   § 54.515   Distributing support.
   § 54.516   Auditing and inspections.
   § § 54.517-54.518   [Reserved]
   § 54.519   State telecommunications networks.
   § 54.520   Children's Internet Protection Act certifications required
   from recipients of discounts under the federal universal service
   support mechanism for schools and libraries.
   § 54.522   [Reserved]
   § 54.523   Payment for the non-discount portion of supported services.

   Subpart G—Universal Service for Rural Health Care Program
   § 54.600   Terms and definitions.
   § 54.601   Health care provider eligibility.
   § 54.602   Health care support mechanism.

   Telecommunications Program
   § 54.603   Consortia, telecommunications services, and existing
   contracts.
   § 54.604   Determining the urban rate.
   § 54.605   Determining the rural rate.
   § 54.606   Calculating support.

   Healthcare Connect Fund Program
   § 54.607   Eligible recipients.
   § 54.608   Eligible service providers.
   § 54.609   Designation of Consortium Leader.
   § 54.610   Letters of agency (LOA).
   § 54.611   Health care provider contribution.
   § 54.612   Eligible services.
   § 54.613   Eligible equipment.
   § 54.614   Eligible participant-constructed and owned network facilities
   for consortium applicants.
   § 54.615   Off-site data centers and off-site administrative offices.
   § 54.616   Upfront payments.
   § 54.617   Ineligible expenses.
   § 54.618   Data collection and reporting.

   General Provisions
   § 54.619   Cap.
   § 54.620   Annual filing requirements and commitments.
   § 54.621   Filing window for requests and prioritization of support.
   § 54.622   Competitive bidding requirements and exemptions.
   § 54.623   Funding requests.
   § 54.624   Site and service substitutions.
   § 54.625   Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) changes.
   § 54.626   Service delivery deadline and extension requests.
   § 54.627   Invoicing process and certifications.
   § 54.628   Duplicate support.
   § 54.629   Prohibition on resale.
   § 54.630   Election to offset support against annual universal service
   fund contribution.
   § 54.631   Audits and recordkeeping.
   § 54.632   Signature requirements for certifications.
   § 54.633   Validity of electronic signatures and records.

   Subpart H—Administration
   § 54.701   Administrator of universal service support mechanisms.
   § 54.702   Administrator's functions and responsibilities.
   § 54.703   The Administrator's Board of Directors.
   § 54.704   The Administrator's Chief Executive Officer.
   § 54.705   Committees of the Administrator's Board of Directors.
   § 54.706   Contributions.
   § 54.707   Audit controls.
   § 54.708   De minimis exemption.
   § 54.709   Computations of required contributions to universal service
   support mechanisms.
   § 54.711   Contributor reporting requirements.
   § 54.712   Contributor recovery of universal service costs from end
   users.
   § 54.713   Contributors' failure to report or to contribute.
   § 54.715   Administrative expenses of the Administrator.
   § 54.717   Audits of the Administrator.

   Subpart I—Review of Decisions Issued by the Administrator
   § 54.719   Parties permitted to seek review of Administrator decision.
   § 54.720   Filing deadlines.
   § 54.721   General filing requirements.
   § 54.722   Review by the Wireline Competition Bureau or the Commission.
   § 54.723   Standard of review.
   § 54.724   Time periods for Commission approval of Administrator
   decisions.
   § 54.725   Universal service disbursements during pendency of a request
   for review and Administrator decision.

   Subpart J—Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
   § 54.801   Use of competitive bidding for Rural Digital Opportunity
   Fund.
   § 54.802   Rural Digital Opportunity Fund geographic areas, deployment
   obligations, and support disbursements.
   § 54.803   Rural Digital Opportunity Fund provider eligibility.
   § 54.804   Rural Digital Opportunity Fund application process.
   § 54.805   Rural Digital Opportunity Fund public interest obligations.
   § 54.806   Rural Digital Opportunity Fund reporting obligations,
   compliance, and recordkeeping.

   Subpart K—Interstate Common Line Support Mechanism for Rate-of-Return
   Carriers
   § 54.901   Calculation of Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support.
   § 54.902   Calculation of CAF BLS Support for transferred exchanges.
   § 54.903   Obligations of rate-of-return carriers and the Administrator.

   Subpart L—Mobility Fund and 5G Fund
   § 54.1001   Mobility Fund—Phase I.
   § 54.1002   Geographic areas eligible for support.
   § 54.1003   Provider eligibility.
   § 54.1004   Service to Tribal Lands.
   § 54.1005   Application process.
   § 54.1006   Public interest obligations.
   § 54.1007   Letter of credit.
   § 54.1008   Mobility Fund Phase I disbursements.
   § 54.1009   Annual reports.
   § 54.1010   Record retention for Mobility Fund Phase I.
   § 54.1011   5G Fund.
   § 54.1012   Geographic areas eligible for support.
   § 54.1013   Applicant eligibility.
   § 54.1014   Application process.
   § 54.1015   Public interest obligations and performance requirements for
   5G Fund support recipients.
   § 54.1016   Letter of credit.
   § 54.1017   5G Fund support disbursements.
   § 54.1018   Annual reports.
   § 54.1019   Interim service and final service milestone reports.
   § 54.1020   Non-compliance measures for 5G Fund support recipients.
   § 54.1021   Record retention for the 5G Fund.

   Subpart M—High Cost Loop Support for Rate-of-Return Carriers
   § 54.1301   General.
   § 54.1302   Calculation of incumbent local exchange carrier portion of
   nationwide loop cost expense adjustment for rate-of-return carriers.
   § 54.1303   Calculation of the rural growth factor.
   § 54.1304   Calculation of safety net additive.
   § 54.1305   Submission of information to the National Exchange Carrier
   Association (NECA).
   § 54.1306   Updating Information Submitted to the National Exchange
   Carrier Association.
   § 54.1307   Submission of Information by the National Exchange Carrier
   Association.
   § 54.1308   Study Area Total Unseparated Loop Cost.
   § 54.1309   National and study area average unseparated loop costs.
   § 54.1310   Expense adjustment.

   Subpart O—Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and Connect USVI Fund
   § 54.1501   Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and Connect USVI Fund—Stage 2 for
   service to fixed locations.
   § 54.1502   Geographic areas eligible for Stage 2 fixed support.
   § 54.1503   Geographic area and locations to be served by Stage 2 fixed
   support recipients.
   § 54.1504   Term of Stage 2 fixed support and phase-down of legacy fixed
   support.
   § 54.1505   Stage 2 fixed support application process.
   § 54.1506   Stage 2 fixed support deployment milestones.
   § 54.1507   Stage 2 public interest obligations for service to fixed
   locations.
   § 54.1508   Letter of credit for stage 2 fixed support recipients.
   § 54.1509   Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and the Connect USVI Fund—Stage 2
   for mobile service.
   § 54.1510   Stage 2 mobile carrier eligibility.
   § 54.1511   Appropriate uses of Stage 2 mobile support.
   § 54.1512   Geographic area eligible for Stage 2 mobile support.
   § 54.1513   Provision of Stage 2 mobile support.
   § 54.1514   Stage 2 mobile additional annual reporting.
   § 54.1515   Disaster preparation and response measures.

   Subpart P—Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
   § 54.1600   Definitions.
   § 54.1601   Participating providers.
   § 54.1602   Emergency Broadband Benefit.
   § 54.1603   Emergency Broadband Benefit Program support amount.
   § 54.1604   Participating provider obligation to offer Emergency
   Broadband Benefit Program.
   § 54.1605   Household qualification for Emergency Broadband Benefit
   Program.
   § 54.1606   Household eligibility determinations.
   § 54.1607   Enrollment representative registration.
   § 54.1608   Reimbursement for providing Emergency Broadband Benefit
   Program discount.
   § 54.1609   De-enrollment from the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
   § 54.1610   Expiration of Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
   § 54.1611   Recordkeeping requirements.
   § 54.1612   Validity of electronic signatures.

   Subpart Q—Emergency Connectivity Fund
   § 54.1700   Terms and definitions.
   § 54.1701   Eligible recipients.
   § 54.1702   Emergency Connectivity Fund eligible equipment and services.
   § 54.1703   Emergency Connectivity Fund competitive bidding
   requirements.
   § 54.1704   Emergency Connectivity Fund gift restrictions.
   § 54.1705   Emergency Connectivity Fund eligible uses.
   § 54.1706   Emergency Connectivity Fund service locations.
   § 54.1707   Emergency Connectivity Fund reasonable support amounts.
   § 54.1708   Emergency Connectivity Fund cap and requests.
   § 54.1709   Availability period of the Emergency Connectivity Fund.
   § 54.1710   Emergency Connectivity Fund requests for funding.
   § 54.1711   Emergency Connectivity Fund requests for reimbursement.
   § 54.1712   Duplicate support.
   § 54.1713   Treatment, resale, and transfer of equipment.
   § 54.1714   Audits, inspections, and investigations.
   § 54.1715   Records retention.
   § 54.1716   Children's Internet Protection Act certifications.
   § 54.1717   Administrator of the Emergency Connectivity Fund.
   § 54.1718   Appeal and waiver requests.