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In the Third Report and Order, the Commission determined that unused funds from
prior funding years would be made available annually in the second quarter of
each calendar year for use in the next full funding year of the schools and
libraries mechanism.1 The Order further set forth that based on
estimates provided by the Universal Service Administrative Company
(Administrator), the Wireline Competition Bureau would annually announce a
specific amount of unused funds from prior years to be carried forward in
accordance with the public interest to increase funds for the next full funding
year in excess of the annual cap.
The Administrator filed its Federal Universal Service Support Mechanisms Fund
Size Projections for the Third Quarter 2004 on April 30, 20042 and
submitted a corrected filing on May 13, 2004. 3That filing included
an estimate of $150 million in unused funds from Funding Year 2001 available to
carry forward to increase disbursements to schools and libraries in Funding
Year 2004.4
Based on the Administrator’s estimate, the Wireline Competition Bureau
announces that $150 million will be carried forward from Funding Year 2001 to
increase funds for Funding Year 2004 in excess of the annual cap. In accordance
with the Third Report and Order, this amount of unused funds to be carried
forward will be deemed approved by the Commission if it takes no action within
14 days of the release of this public notice.
For further information, contact Jennifer Schneider, Attorney,
Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202)
418-7400.
1Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, CC
Docket No. 02-6, Third Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking, 18 FCC Rcd 26912 (2003) (Third Report and Order).
2See Federal Universal Service Support Mechanisms Fund Size
Projections for the Third Quarter 2004, available at
http://www.universalservice.org/overview/filings (filed April 30, 2004).
3See Federal Universal Service Support Mechanisms Fund Size
Projections for the Third Quarter 2004, Corrected, available at
http://www.universalservice.org/overview/filings (filed May 13, 2004).
4Id. at 32.
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