The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC or Commission) Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) clarifies that the new certification regarding third party sales commissions applies only to invoices for services competitively bid for funding year 2020 and future funding years. The Commission, in the Rural Health Care (RHC) Promoting Telehealth Report and Order, prohibited applicants from hiring third parties that have a financial stake in the vendor chosen to provide the requested service. Under such rule, every provider must certify on invoices submitted to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) that no financial stake exists and that they have otherwise complied with the RHC Program rules. Accordingly, a service provider who had a sales commission arrangement with a third-party consultant for a competitive bidding process completed in funding year 2019 or earlier can make this certification on invoices submitted after July 1, 2020.
