(a) Affordable Connectivity Program support for providing a qualifying broadband internet access service shall be provided directly to a participating provider based on the number of actual qualifying low-income households listed in the National Lifeline Accountability Database that the participating provider serves directly as of the first day of the calendar month.

(b) For each eligible household receiving the affordable connectivity benefit on a broadband internet access service, the reimbursement amount shall equal the appropriate support amount as described in § 54.1803. The participating provider's Affordable Connectivity Program reimbursement shall not exceed the actual amount charged by the participating provider.

(c) A participating provider offering a service subject to the affordable connectivity benefit that does not require the participating provider to assess and collect a monthly fee from its subscribers shall not receive support for a subscriber to such service until the subscriber activates the service by whatever means specified by the provider; and

(1) After service activation, shall only continue to receive reimbursement for the affordable connectivity benefit on such service provided to subscribers who have used the service within the last 30 days, or who have cured their non-usage as provided for in § 54.1809(c); and

(2) Shall certify that every subscriber claimed has used their service subject to the affordable connectivity benefit, as “usage” is defined by § 54.407(c)(2), at least once in the last 30 consecutive days or has cured their non-usage as provided in § 54.1809(c), in order to claim that subscriber for reimbursement for a given service month.

(d) A participating provider that, in addition to providing the affordable connectivity benefit to an eligible household, provides such household with a connected device may be reimbursed in the amount and subject to the conditions specified in §§ 54.1803(b) and 54.1806(e).

(e) In order to receive Affordable Connectivity Program reimbursement, an officer of the participating provider shall certify, under penalty of perjury, as part of each request for reimbursement, that:

(1) The officer is authorized to submit the request on behalf of the participating provider;

(2) The officer has read the instructions relating to reimbursements and the funds sought in the reimbursement request are for services and/or devices that were provided in accordance with the purposes and objectives set forth in the statute, rules, requirements, and orders governing the Affordable Connectivity Program;

(3) The participating provider is in compliance with and satisfied all requirements in the statute, rules, and orders governing the Affordable Connectivity Program reimbursement, and the provider acknowledges that failure to be in compliance and remain in compliance with Affordable Connectivity Program statutes, rules, and orders may result in the denial of reimbursement, cancellation of funding commitments, and/or recoupment of past disbursements;

(4) The participating provider has obtained valid certification and application forms as required by the rules in this subpart for each of the subscribers for whom it is seeking reimbursement;

(5) The amount for which the participating provider is seeking reimbursement from the Affordable Connectivity Fund is not more than the amount charged to the eligible household and the discount has already been passed through to the household;

(6) Each eligible household for which the participating provider is seeking reimbursement for providing an internet service offering discounted by the affordable connectivity benefit—

(i) Has not been and will not be charged for the amount the provider is seeking for reimbursement;

(ii) Will not be required to pay an early termination fee if such eligible household elects to enter into a contract to receive such internet service offering if such household later terminates such contract;

(iii) Was not, after the date of the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, as amended by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, subject to a mandatory waiting period for such internet service offering based on having previously received broadband internet access service from such participating provider; and

(iv) Will otherwise be subject to the participating provider's generally applicable terms and conditions as applied to other subscribers.

(7) Each eligible household for which the participating provider is seeking reimbursement for supplying such household with a connected device was charged by the provider and has paid more than $10.00 but less than $50.00 for such connected device;

(8) If offering a connected device, the connected device claimed meets the Commission's requirements, the representations regarding the devices made on the provider's website and promotional materials are true and accurate, that the reimbursement claim amount does not exceed the market value of the connected device less the amount charged to and paid by the eligible household, and that the connected device has been delivered to the household;

(9) If the participating provider used an alternative verification process to verify that each household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program, the verification process used was designed to avoid waste, fraud, and abuse;

(10) If seeking reimbursement for a connected device, the provider has retained the relevant supporting documents that demonstrate the connected devices requested are eligible for reimbursement and submitted the required information;

(11) No Federal subsidy made available through a program administered by the Commission that provides funds to be used for the capital expenditures necessary for the provision of advanced communications services has been or will be used to purchase, rent, lease, or otherwise obtain, any covered communications equipment or service, or maintain any covered communications equipment or service previously purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise obtained, as required by § 54.10;

(12) All documentation associated with the reimbursement form, including all records for services and/or connected devices provided, will be retained for a period of at least six years after the last date of delivery of the supported services and/or connected devices provided through the Affordable Connectivity Program, and are subject to audit, inspection, or investigation and will be made available at the request of any representative (including any auditor) appointed by the Commission and its Office of Inspector General, or any local, State, or Federal agency with jurisdiction over the provider;

(13) The provider has not offered, promised, received, or paid kickbacks, as defined by 41 U.S.C. 8701, in connection with the Affordable Connectivity Program;

(14) The information contained in this form is true, complete, and accurate to the best of the officer's knowledge, information, and belief, and is based on information known to the officer or provided to the officer by employees responsible for the information being submitted;

(15) The officer is aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent information, or the omission of any material fact on this request for reimbursement or any other document submitted by the provider, may subject the provider and the officer to punishment by fine or forfeiture under the Communications Act (47 U.S.C. 502, 503(b), 1606), or fine or imprisonment under Title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. 1001, 286-87, 1343), or can lead to liability under the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. 3729-3733, 3801-3812);

(16) No service costs or devices sought for reimbursement have been waived, paid, or promised to be paid by another entity, including any other Federal or State program;

(17) All enrollments and transfers completed by the provider were bona fide, requested and consented by the subscriber household after receiving the disclosures required under § 54.1810(a) and (b), and made pursuant to program rules; and

(18) The provider used the National Lifeline Accountability Database as a tool for enrollment, reimbursement calculations, and duplicate checks in all States, territories, and the District of Columbia, and checked their records in accordance with § 54.1806(a)(4).

(f) In order to receive Affordable Connectivity Program reimbursement, a participating provider shall keep accurate records of the revenues it forgoes in providing Affordable Connectivity Program-supported services. Such records shall be kept in the form directed by the Administrator and provided to the Administrator at intervals as directed by the Administrator or as provided in this subpart.

(g) In order to receive reimbursement, participating providers shall submit certified reimbursement claims through the Lifeline Claims System within six months of the snapshot date in paragraph (a) of this section, or the following business day in the event the 1st is a holiday or falls on a weekend. If the participating provider fails to submit a certified reimbursement claim by the six-month deadline, the reimbursement claim will not be processed.

[87 FR 8373, Feb. 14, 2022, as amended at 87 FR 8383, Feb. 14, 2022]