A SPAC, the Service Provider Annual Certification, is FCC Form 473, which every service provider must certify each funding year for each SPIN it holds. USAC will not process or pay any invoice against a SPIN until that SPIN's SPAC is on file for the relevant funding year.
How It Works
SPAC certifies a provider's compliance with E-Rate program rules for a specific funding year. It's filed per SPIN, not per company, so a provider holding multiple SPINs across subsidiaries or billing arrangements has to certify each one separately, every year. See our full SPIN guide for the complete Form 498/SPIN background this sits on top of.
Without a current-year SPAC on file for a given SPIN, USAC will not pay BEAR or SPI invoices against it, regardless of how valid the underlying FRN and invoice otherwise are. This makes SPAC a quiet prerequisite that can hold up payment even when nothing else about a claim is wrong; see our invoice deadline page for how BEAR and SPI invoicing works once SPAC is in place.
What This Means for You
Applicants
If an invoice on your funded FRN seems stuck for no clear reason, ask your provider whether SPAC is current for the SPIN in question. It's a provider-side filing, but it directly affects when you or your provider actually get paid.
Service Providers
File SPAC for every SPIN you hold as early in the funding year as possible. It's invisible until it's missing, and by then it's already delaying payment on invoices you were otherwise ready to collect.
We see providers treat SPAC as an afterthought filed "whenever," not realizing it silently blocks every invoice on that SPIN until it's done. It doesn't show up as an obvious upfront error; it shows up months later as a payment delay nobody can immediately explain.
Common Questions About SPAC
What is a SPAC?
FCC Form 473, the Service Provider Annual Certification, filed once per SPIN, per funding year.
What happens if I don't file a SPAC?
USAC won't process or pay invoices against that SPIN for that funding year, no matter how valid the underlying FRN is.
Do I need a separate SPAC for each SPIN I hold?
Yes. SPAC is certified per SPIN, so a company with multiple SPINs must file one for each.
Does SPAC replace the need to get a SPIN in the first place?
No. You need a SPIN via Form 498 first; SPAC is the annual compliance certification required every year after that.
When should I file my SPAC?
As early in the funding year as possible, since it's a prerequisite for invoicing and delaying it can hold up payments you'd otherwise be ready to collect.
Informational only, not legal advice. E-Rate procedures and forms can change by funding year. Confirm current requirements in the applicable USAC and FCC guidance.