What is FRN?
Published May 7, 2026
An FRN — Funding Request Number — is the unique USAC identifier assigned to each individual service request inside a Form 471. One Form 471 can contain many FRNs, one per contract or service category. FRNs are how E-Rate commitments, modifications, and disbursements are tracked.
What does an FRN identify?
An FRN identifies one specific funding request: a contract or month-to-month agreement between an applicant and a service provider, for a specific service, in a specific funding year.
Each FRN ties together the applicant (BEN), the service provider (SPIN), the service category (Category 1 or Category 2), the requested amount, the discount rate, and the eventual USAC commitment decision.
How are FRNs structured?
FRNs are 10-digit USAC identifiers. The first digits identify the funding year. FRNs persist across modifications, appeals, and post-commitment changes — the same FRN follows the request through its full lifecycle.
Sub-line items within an FRN (called FRN line items) describe the specific products and services covered, with their own line-item identifiers.
Common questions
- What's the difference between an FRN and a Form 471?
- A Form 471 is the funding application. An FRN is one individual funding request inside that application. One Form 471 can contain many FRNs.
- Where can I look up a specific FRN?
- Public FRN data is available through USAC at opendata.usac.org (dataset avi8-svp9 for commitments). USAC also maintains a public Open Data Portal at opendata.usac.org and a search at usac.org/sl/tools/.
- Can an FRN be modified after commitment?
- Yes. Applicants can submit post-commitment changes — such as service-substitution requests, SPIN changes, or invoice-deadline extensions — that modify an existing FRN. The modifications are tracked under the same FRN.
Track this in real product data.
ERateSignal turns the public USAC datasets behind FRN into a working tool for E-Rate sellers — Form 470 alerts, SPIN market share, and territory analytics on the apex domain.
This entry summarizes publicly available FCC and USAC guidance for educational purposes and is not legal or procurement advice. Verify all information directly with USAC or qualified counsel before making business decisions. ERateSignal is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by USAC, the FCC, or the U.S. Government.