Rough Start for C-Band Relocation Clearinghouse on Lump-Sum Reimbursements

If you previously filed with the FCC for a lump sum reimbursement of your costs for modifying satellite receive/transmit facilities located in the portion of the C-Band that was repurposed and auctioned off for new purposes, you need to take actions with the Relocation Payment Clearinghouse to receive those funds.  But don’t expect ease and efficiency (at least not initially).

The FCC has contracted with Relocation Payment Clearinghouse LLC (RPC) to administer the cost-related aspects of the C-Band transition mandated by the FCC.  The RPC recently sent emails to C-Band registrants from an info@CbandRPC.com address to establish points of contact and initiate the process of setting up bank accounts to receive reimbursement funds.  Some registrants may not have received those emails, or thought that they were spam of some kind.  Whether or not you’ve received such an email, or deleted it as spam, action is required.

The RPC’s system for submitting and processing claims associated with the C-Band relocation program is called COUPA. Claimants must establish a profile, submit claims, track the status of the claim, and communicate with RPC through COUPA.  Claimants looking to establish contact with RPC or understand the reimbursement procedures should reach out and visit www.cbandrpc.com/resources where a handbook on the process is available review, and then begin submitting the required online information.

We’ve heard from some of you that the COUPA’s online submittal process leaves much to be desired, and in some cases, has had to be completed more than once.  We understand that in at least one case, the RPC apologized and indicated that they are experiencing some initial issues with the online system.  Nevertheless, COUPA is the only path to receiving lump sum reimbursement funds, so submissions will ultimately be necessary (along with a dose of patience).