The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has announced that it is establishing the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan (“Accountability Plan”) for USF High Cost programs, including the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. The Accountability Plan expands the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (“USAC”) existing audit and verification processes, implementing a number of changes and enhancements to increase audits and verifications of support recipients, increase audits and verifications of large dollar and higher risk recipients, and increase program transparency. The Accountability Program will:
double the number of audits and verifications in 2022 over 2021;
include on-site audits, as well as random audits and verifications;
result in USAC conducting more verifications prior to first required milestones;
subject the largest dollar recipients to an on-site audit in at least one state;
subject higher risk recipients to additional audits and verifications; and
make public the results of verifications, audits, and speed and latency performance testing on USAC’s website.

Please contact Robin Tuttle ([email protected]) or Greg Whiteaker ([email protected]) if you have any questions.