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KanREN Conference April 22, 2026

FCC �Universal Service Fund��Rural Healthcare (RHC) Program

Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF)�Benefits

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Who Can Apply?

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Who �Can �Apply?

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UAMS e-Link

UAMS �e-Link

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UAMS �e-Link�Consortium �Benefits

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***USAC Funding Year Request (Filing Window) Opens December 1,2026, for fiscal year July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028***

Funding Year 2027 dates have not been released as of this presentation

The Numbers….

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• Total Funding Requests (462s) Submitted (RENs ONLY)
• 2014 -2025: $143,055,611.93

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• Total USAC Support (463s)
• 2014 -2025: $72,549,395.85

***not all of 2025 has been approved at this time***

***2026 submissions not include***

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Eligibility Determination

***these documents need to be submitted no later than 120 days before the END of a filing window to ensure all deadlines are met for that filing period***

• Filing window opens December 1, 2026
• Filing window closes April 1, 2027
• Service Dates July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028
• Amount requested for support: your state REN membership amount at your USAC eligible locations
• USAC supports 65% of the eligible amount requested for support
• This process may be presented with an information request before an approval is given

Request for Funding

(form 462)

• 463s are submitted at the end of the fiscal year for annual memberships
• Site must have paid a minimum of 35% of their total before a disbursement is approved
• USAC disburses funds twice a month (usually the 6th and 20^th of each month)
• USAC funds are disbursed directly to the vendor (state REN) and vendor disburses refunds to sites appropriately
• All invoicing must be completed by October 28, 2026, for 1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026

Invoicing

(form 463, Request for Disbursement)

• Sites must sign an eLink agreement
• Generally effective for 5 years
• Sites will be presented with an eLink Order Form
• Presented yearly around June/July
• Sites will be presented with an invoice
• e-Link charges a fee of 10% of your cost savings amount
• e-Link payments are generally due within 30 – 45 days unless prior arrangements have been made

UAMS eLink Processes

Paths to Cost Savings

USAC eligible sites can save up to an additional 65% for items such as:

Networking Technologies

Cloud Services

SIP Services�

WAN Connectivity

Internet�

Failover/Redundant Connectivity

Data Center

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Cyber Security

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Admin Center

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Warranties

Professional Services

Equipment

Network equipment necessary to make a broadband service functional.

Antennas/Satellite Equipment (HCP Owned)

Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit (CSU/DSU)

Computers, Servers, and Related Hardware (if used exclusively for network management)*

Equipment Warranties

Fiber Network Transport Equipment

Firewall (HCP Owned or Leased)

Maintenance Contracts

Multiplexer

Routers (HCP Owned or Leased)

Switches (HCP Owned or Leased)

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Installation

Reasonable and customary installation charges for eligible equipment and services (up to $5,000 in pre-discount costs

per location).

Installation Of Equipment

Installation Of Recurring Service

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Network Management Services*

Services that support network operations on a one-time or continuing basis. Individual applicants are not eligible to

receive funding for network-based services as they are not considered to be a network. Managed Service Providers

(MSPs) are third party organizations that provide essential services on a limited or continuous basis.

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Digital Data Service (DDS) (Geographic Information Systems)*

Firewall Service *

Network Maintenance*

Network Management Software*

Network Management System (NMS) MSP*

Network Operation*

Network Security MSP*

Network Shared Infrastructure*

Network Shared Maintenance*

Professional Services*

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Construction Cost

Costs incurred by either a service provider or health care provider for the construction of new network infrastructure or

upgrades to existing infrastructure.

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Carrier-Owned Network Special Construction*

Infrastructure/Plant Upgrade*

Network Deployment*

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HCP-Owned Network Special Construction*

Construction Management Services*

Engineering*

Infrastructure/Plant Upgrade*

Inspection Services*

Make Ready*

Network Design*

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Data

Internet2 Annual Subscription

Dark Fiber

Recurring Charges (Lease of Fiber/Equipment; Maintenance)

Upfront Payments (Indefeasible Right of Use, Leases, & Equipment)*

Leased Lit Fiber

FCC Rural Healthcare Connect Fund 12-150

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• Eligible equipment costs include the following:
• • Equipment that terminates a carrier’s or other provider’s transmission facility and any router/switch that is directly connected to either the facility or the terminating equipment.444 This includes equipment required to light dark fiber, or equipment necessary to connect dedicated health care broadband networks or individual HCPs to middle mile or backbone networks;445
• • Computers, including servers, and related hardware (e.g., printers, scanners, laptops) that are used exclusively for network management;446
• • Software used for network management, maintenance, or other network operations, and development of software that supports network management, maintenance, and other network operations;447
• • Costs of engineering, furnishing (i.e., as delivered from the manufacturer), and installing network equipment;448 and
• • Equipment that is a necessary part of HCP-owned facilities.449

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FCC Rural Healthcare Connect Fund12-150

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• …Equipment necessary to manage, control, or maintain broadband service or dedicated health care broadband network …
• … We will provide support for network equipment necessary to make a broadband service functional in conjunction with providing support for the broadband service.433 In addition, for consortium applicants, we will provide support for equipment necessary to manage, control, or maintain a broadband service or a dedicated health care broadband network.434 Equipment support is not available for networks that are not dedicated to health care. We conclude that providing support for such equipment is important to advancing our goals of increasing access to broadband for HCPs and fostering the development and maintenance of broadband health care networks, …

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FCC Universal Service Administrative Company�

Cybersecurity Pilot Program $200M … 2024

3 year pilot program K-12 and Libraries

Defray the costs of eligible cybersecurity services and equipment.

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�Connected Care Pilot Program $100M … April 2020

3 year pilot program … healthcare, health education

85% of broadband, network equipment, information services – veterans, low income, mental health, maternal health/high risk pregnancy, chronic conditions

In Report and Order FCC 20-44 released on April 2, 2020, the FCC established a three-year Connected Care Pilot Program which provides up to $100 million of support from the Universal Service Fund (USF) to help defray eligible health care providers’ costs of providing connected care services and help assess how USF funds might be used to support connected care services.

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The Connected Care Pilot provides funding for selected pilot projects to cover 85% of the eligible costs of broadband connectivity, certain network equipment (e.g., network equipment needed to make a support broadband service functional, such as a router), and information services necessary to provide connected care services to the intended patient population. In selecting pilot projects from eligible health care providers (HCPs), the FCC had a strong preference for pilot projects that primarily benefit low-income Americans or veterans. These projects also address public health epidemics, opioid dependency, mental health conditions, maternal heath/high-risk pregnancy, and chronic or recurring conditions, conditions that are the focus of the Pilot Program. Funding these projects will help bring connected care services to rural, Tribal, and other underserved areas nationwide.

107 Applications

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$98,234,805 funded

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9 Consortium

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11 Universities

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• Tribal

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ACP

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