On February 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit granted challenges to portions of FCC’s 2017 Lifeline reform order restricting the distribution of “enhanced” Lifeline subsidies of an additional $25 per month. ...more
The FCC has proposed a $63.5 million fine against American Broadband and Telecommunications Company for alleged Lifeline violations. The Notice of Apparent Liability alleges that American Broadband falsified Lifeline customer...more
2018 Poverty Guidelines -
The 2018 Federal Poverty Guidelines (“FPG”) were published in the Federal Register on January 18. Customers may qualify for Lifeline if their gross total household income is at or below 135...more
Although the future of the Lifeline program is in doubt, business must go on. ETCs should familiarize themselves with two key administrative changes taking place in 2018.
The FCC issued a Public Notice last week reminding...more
On November 16, 2017, a divided FCC voted 3-2 to adopt a controversial order and new rulemaking proceeding, adopting and proposing many changes that will radically reshape—and significantly shrink—the Lifeline program.
The...more
On July 11, 2017, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai sent a letter to USAC requesting that it implement various audit mechanisms and safeguards to protect the Lifeline program from waste, fraud, and abuse. This letter comes on the heels...more
On June 29th, 2017, the GAO released its long-awaited report on the Lifeline program. The report has already generated multiple statements that waste, fraud and abuse are “prevalent,” and that “everything” is wrong with the...more
In 2016, the FCC adopted its Lifeline Modernization Order, in which it introduced Lifeline subsidies for the provision of broadband services, and imposed graduated minimum service standards for Lifeline-supported broadband...more
In a somewhat surprising move, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (“Bureau”) released two Public Notices seeking comment on two appeals of the Bureau’s own cancellation of the Lifeline Broadband Provider designations...more
Last Friday, the FCC filed a motion with the DC Circuit to put a hold on the pending appeal of a portion of its 2016 Lifeline order finding that the FCC—and not the states—had sole jurisdiction to grant Lifeline broadband...more
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau recently granted nine Lifeline Broadband Provider (“LBP”) designations: four on December 1, 2016 and five more on January 18, 2017, as part of its effort launched last year by...more
We reported last spring on the FCC’s accusations against Total Call Mobile and proposed fine of more than $51 million relating to agent misconduct and the failure of company management to take sufficient and early corrective...more
Late last week, the FCC issued guidance on its new re-certification rules. The current rule requires Lifeline ETCs to conduct their annual re-certification efforts without regard to an individual subscriber’s Lifeline start...more
Earlier today, the FCC announced in the Federal Register that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the remaining changes to the FCC’s Lifeline rules that were adopted in last spring’s Lifeline Modernization...more
As was expected after the FCC’s sweeping Lifeline rule changes, several parties filed Petitions for Reconsideration of the controversial Lifeline Modernization Order. Petitioners, consisting of trade associations, ETCs, and...more
The Lifeline Modernization Order was published in the Federal Register on May 24, making the effective date of the Order June 23, 2016. Most of the rule changes, however, cannot take effect until the Office of Management and...more
Last week, the FCC finally released the full, 224-page text of its controversial and anxiously awaited Lifeline Modernization Order, which was approved by a bitterly divided, party-line 3-2 vote on March 31. As we advised in...more
On March 8, 2016, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn unveiled a fact sheet summarizing their plan to “re-orient” the Lifeline program towards broadband service and a recap of the existing reforms...more
Last summer, the FCC adopted new rules for the Lifeline program in its Second Order and NPRM (see our prior analysis of the order), including: the retention of eligibility documentation (such as scans of food stamp cards); an...more
In its June 2015 Lifeline Order on Reconsideration, the FCC adopted a new rule which requires ETCs to retain documentation demonstrating subscriber eligibility for Lifeline, such as a copy of the applicant’s food stamp card...more
10/7/2015
/ Compliance ,
Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) ,
Data Collection ,
ETCs ,
FCC ,
Lifeline Program ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Privacy Laws ,
Telecommunications ,
Wireless Industry ,
Wireless Technology
Last week, the FCC released its second major order in the Lifeline reform proceeding: Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Order on Reconsideration, Second Report and Order, and Memorandum Opinion and Order...more
Last Friday, staff in the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau issued a report summarizing the results of the FCC’s Lifeline broadband pilot program. The program was designed to determine how the Lifeline program might address...more
The FCC is gearing up to launch a new rulemaking proceeding to once again overhaul the Lifeline program. The last major reform of the program was in 2012, and this new rulemaking would likely continue the work of some of the...more