FCC Seeks Comment on Reform of its Low-Income Program

The Federal Communications Commission took a first step towards modernizing the low-income Universal Service support programs known as Lifeline and Link Up. The FCC released a 137 page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comments on its reform proposals.

The subsidy programs provide discounts of about $10 for phone service and up to $30 for connection charges to low-income households, either wireline or wireless.

The FCC aims to reform the programs by:

• Strengthening protections against waste, fraud, and abuse, including the creation of a National Accountability Database to verify consumer eligibility;
• Taking immediate steps to create a uniform national framework for validating ongoing eligibility;
• Ensuring Lifeline only supports services consumers are actually using;
• Allowing discounts to be used for bundled voice-broadband service plans; 
• Launching pilot programs to test strategies for supporting broadband service; and
• Evaluating a cap on the program, either temporary or permanent, in light of recent, rapid growth.

CWA strongly supports Universal Service Fund reform and efforts to bridge the digital divide for low-income populations.

FCC Proposes Comprehensively Reforming and Modernizing Lifeline/Link Up (FCC News)

Comment and Reply Comment Dates Established for Comprehensive Universal Service Fund and Intercarrier Compensation Reform Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC News)