All in Lifeline

FCC Chairman Orders USAC To Clean Up The Lifeline Program

FCC Chairman Orders USAC To Clean Up The Lifeline Program

Tony Veach
Lifeline, USF

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has directed the Universal Service Administrative Company to institute a number of safeguards intended to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in the universal service Lifeline program. Chairman Pai’s command to clean up Lifeline was triggered in large part by a recent GAO report that discovered extensive fraud within the program. USAC is tasked with addressing problems related to ineligible subscribers, oversubscribed addresses, phantom subscribers, deceased subscribers, exact duplicates, and accountability of sales agents. Chairman Pai has asked USAC to report on its progress in implementing the safeguards by August 8, 2017.

The FCC’s Lifeline Modernization Order

The FCC’s Lifeline Modernization Order

Tony Veach
Broadband, Lifeline, USF

The Federal Communications Commission has released the Lifeline Modernization Order makes significant revisions to the rules governing the universal service Lifeline program. Among other important changes, the order sets new minimum Lifeline service standards for voice and broadband and gradually eliminates support for standalone voice service.