About USAC

Program Compliance - Whistleblower Hotline

Assuring effective stewardship of the Universal Service Fund by guarding against misuse or waste of funds is a priority shared by USAC, the FCC, Congress, and program applicants, service providers, and the general public. To that end, the Whistleblower Hotline allows applicants, service providers, contributors, and others to alert USAC – anonymously, if desired – to instances where program funds are being misapplied or where potential program rule violations may exist.

If you are aware of waste, fraud, or abuse of USF program funds, USAC encourages you to report it! Because USAC treats each call to the Whistleblower Hotline as a serious and urgent matter requiring immediate attention, we caution you to use the hotline procedure described below ONLY to report potential instances of waste, fraud, or abuse of support program rules.

  • What kinds of things should you report? Instances of USF support being misapplied, mismanaged, or violations of law, rules, or regulations by support program participants or service providers.
  • What are your rights? Your complaint will be kept anonymous and confidential if desired. Laws protect you from reprisals (i.e., any action taken against you because you filed this complaint).
  • What to expect when you call. If you believe there is a misuse of funds or a violation of rules:
    1. Place a call to one of the hotline numbers below and tell the operator that you want to report a potential program rule violation.
    2. You will be connected to specially trained staff who will record your report. This staff person will ask you a series of questions in order to obtain as much information about the situation as possible, so any investigation can proceed efficiently.
    3. If you choose to remain anonymous, you may do so. If you opt to identify yourself so that USAC can contact you for additional information, we will make every effort to maintain your confidentiality as the investigation proceeds.
    4. After your call is complete, the report of your call will be referred to the USAC Office of General Counsel for assessment and investigation.
    5. Depending upon the nature of the rule violation, or whether there is evidence suggesting fraud may have occurred, other steps may be undertaken such as referral of matters to investigatory and enforcement authorities.

Hotline Numbers for the Support Programs

High Cost: (202) 776-0200
Low Income: (202) 776-0200
Rural Health Care: (800) 229-5476
Schools and Libraries: (888) 203-8100

Other Hotline Numbers

Billing, Collections, and Disbursements: (888) 641-8722

 

If you suspect non-compliance with Telecommunications Reporting Worksheets or contributions into the Universal Service Fund, please click on the link below to submit information, or call our Billing, Collections, and Disbursements Hotline listed above.

Report Contributor Non-Compliance


Last modified on 7/13/2009