FCC Recommendations Address Broadband Disparities in Low-Income Communities

The Lifeline and Link Up programs should be updated to help low-income Americans adopt broadband services, according to a new report by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. The report was directed at the FCC which runs both programs.

Lifeline and Link Up have long helped families eligible for food stamps and other services cover the cost of phone service and phone installation. With the recommendations of the Joint Board, the programs will also help bridge broadband disparities among low-income families, and aim to increase broadband use for those who find adoption cost-prohibitive.

Key recommendations of the report for improving the current program of subsidies for phone service include:

• Encouraging automatic enrollment, triggered when low-income families sign up for other benefits, such as food stamps.
• Adopting minimum standards for states and carriers to verify a participant's eligibility, with stricter standards allowed, in order to prevent potential waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Seeking comment on establishing a centralized national database for certification and verification of eligibility. This will help eliminate duplicative claims, speed enrollment, and address potential waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Adopting outreach rules for carriers that participate in Lifeline.
• Seeking comment on increasing eligibility for the program by allowing households earning 150% or less of the federal poverty guidelines to participate, up from the current 135%. 

Bridging the digital divide is a strong initiative of the FCC's National Broadband Plan and is a key priority of the Communication Workers of America and Speed Matters. Just as government policies helped bring affordable telephone service to everyone, access to affordable, high-speed Internet should belong to every resident of the United States.

Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service Recommended Decision (FCC)