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PCCA Journal|3

rd

Quarter 2015

33

to broadband:

• While over 95 percent of households

with incomes of $150,000 or more

have access, only 48 percent of those

making less than $25,000 have service

at home.

• Nearly 50 percent of low-income

Americans have had to cancel or

suspend smartphone service due to fi-

nancial hardship. Because low-income

consumers disproportionately use

smart phones for Internet access, this

puts them at a disadvantage at a time

when broadband access is essential for

access to education and information,

for managing and receiving health

care, and for daily tasks like accessing

government services, checking bank

balances, finding bargains on goods

and services, and more.

To bring Lifeline into the 21st Cen-

tury, Wheeler is seeking comment on a

number of proposals that will modernize

the Lifeline program to make it more ef-

ficient, accountable, and effective, while

proposing additional protections against

waste, fraud, and abuse.

• Ensuring minimum service stan-

dards for voice and broadband.

The

notice proposes to establish minimum

service standards for both voice and

broadband to ensure that both Lifeline

subscribers and ratepayers are get-

ting the best possible value from the

service delivered. The notice seeks

comment on what those standards

should be.

• Resetting Lifeline eligibility ad-

ministration.

Lifeline providers are

currently responsible for ensuring the

eligibility of their Lifeline custom-

ers, a situation that invites waste and

burdens providers. Wheeler proposes

to remove providers from this process

and seeks comment on other ways to

verify eligibility, such as establishing a

neutral third-party administrator. The

notice also seeks comment on how to

ensure that the program targets those

most in need of the support.

• Increasing competition.

Competition

among providers on price and service

offerings would benefit Lifeline sub-

scribers and would ensure ratepayer

dollars support an efficient program.

The notice seeks comment on how

to encourage providers to participate

in the program. The item also asks

how to encourage participation by the

states.

Continued on page 34