What is SPIN?
Published May 7, 2026
A SPIN — Service Provider Identification Number — is the 9-digit USAC identifier every E-Rate-eligible service provider must hold. SPINs appear on every Form 470 vendor response and every Form 471 commitment, so all market-share and customer-history analytics anchor on the SPIN.
Who needs a SPIN?
Any company that provides E-Rate-eligible services and wants to receive funding must hold an active SPIN. National resellers, regional ISPs, integrators, cabling shops, and OEM-direct service arms all hold SPINs.
A single parent company can hold multiple SPINs — common when separate divisions or acquired entities maintain their own E-Rate operations.
Where do SPINs appear in public data?
Every certified Form 471 in the USAC commitment dataset (avi8-svp9) is associated with a SPIN. So every public market-share view, competitor scorecard, or territory analysis ultimately rolls up to SPIN-level data.
USAC publishes a current SPIN/Contact Search tool at usac.org and exposes service-provider records through the open data portal.
Common questions
- How do I find a service provider's SPIN?
- USAC's public SPIN/Contact Search tool returns the SPIN for any active service provider. SPINs also appear on every public Form 471 commitment record in the USAC Open Data Portal.
- Can a company have more than one SPIN?
- Yes. Parent companies often maintain separate SPINs for different divisions, subsidiaries, or acquired entities.
- What's the difference between a SPIN and a BEN?
- A SPIN identifies a service provider. A BEN identifies an applicant — a school, library, or district. Every E-Rate commitment links a BEN to a SPIN.
Track this in real product data.
ERateSignal turns the public USAC datasets behind SPIN 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.