FCC released report Fri. on state-by-state telephone penetration ...
FCC released report Fri. on state-by-state telephone penetration at various income levels. Report, covering data through 2000, is used to assess success of federal Lifeline program in making telephone service available to low-income household in each state, Commission said.…
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Lifeline program, part of Universal Service Fund, provides discounts on monthly services to qualified telephone subscribers. Current discounts are $5.25- $13.85 month, depending on state and carrier. Among report highlights: (1) Between 1984 (before Lifeline program) and 1997, states with federal Lifeline program had greater increases in telephone penetration compared with states without Lifeline -- about 1.5% for all households and more than 3% for low-income households. (2) In 1998, FCC expanded Lifeline program by offering states new matching funds. States taking steps necessary to receive maximum federal matching funds saw telephone penetration for all households rise 1% between 1997 and 2000 and 2.25% in low income households. (3) States that didn’t take steps to receive full federal matching funds saw no improvement in telephone penetration -- www.fcc.gov/ccb/stats.