Website Policy

Privacy Policy

USAC is a private, not for profit organization that administers the universal service support mechanisms under the authorization and oversight of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Members of the public may visit USAC’s web site without identifying themselves or providing any individual information.  However, many users choose to provide additional information to USAC electronically – most notably by filing certain forms or other data online.  USAC makes public certain information received from those individual entities.  For example, in administering the Rural Health Care and Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanisms, USAC regularly posts on its web site requests for services on behalf of schools, libraries, and rural health care providers to assist them in complying with the mechanisms’ competitive bidding requirements.  In addition, USAC posts a list of funding commitments to schools, libraries, and rural health care providers by individual applicants.  USAC encourages visitors to its web site to use the information posted for its intended purposes; however, applicants should be aware that there is no guarantee that visitors to USAC’s web site will do so.     

USAC does not sell any of the information it receives from participants in the universal service support mechanisms or use any such information for marketing or sales purposes (other than posting requests for services for competitive bidding purposes, as described above).  USAC uses information it receives solely for purposes of administering the universal service support mechanisms.  In addition, USAC may disclose such information to the FCC (47 C.F.R. § 54.702(k)) or other authorized parties including pursuant to inquiries received under applicable law.

Freedom of Information Act Requests

USAC administers the universal service support mechanisms under the authorization and oversight of the FCC.  Consequently, requests for information made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, (FOIA) should be made directly to the FCC.  Information related to filing a FOIA request with the FCC may be obtained from the FCC’s web site at www.fcc.gov/foia. 

Disclaimer of Endorsement

USAC’s web site contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations.  These links are provided for the user’s convenience.  USAC does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this information.  In addition, the inclusion of links to particular items in hypertext is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.

 Use of  “Cookies”

“Cookies” are files that contain elements of information that Web servers collect from each client visiting their site.  Most of the widely used and later-version browsers (e.g., Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer) support cookies.  In general USAC uses these cookies to record certain facts about its users, such as specific pages viewed, system performance, and site related preferences.  USAC uses this information solely for the purposes of site maintenance and improvement.  The information stored on these cookies does not contain or reveal personal information such as name, address, e-mail address, or phone number.

USAC also employs session cookies in its on-line transactions such as when a user submits an application on-line, initiates a search query, or receives a query response.  Session cookies maintain the state of the user's connection to USAC's web site throughout the on-line transaction.  Session cookies are deleted from users’ systems as soon as they close their browsers.