The FCC Wireline Bureau reminded states, in three public notices issued...
The FCC Wireline Bureau reminded states, in three public notices issued late Thursday, of Lifeline deadlines and clarified certain Lifeline issues. Telcos and state Lifeline administrators need to recertify eligibility for all Lifeline subscribers by Dec. 31, one public notice…
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said (http://xrl.us/bntuxz). Then, they “must report the results to the Commission, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), and to states and Tribal governments (where appropriate), by January 31, 2013,” the bureau said. States that want to opt out of the National Lifeline Accountability Database need to “make a one-time request by November 1, 2012 that the state has a comprehensive system in place to check for duplicative Lifeline support,” another public notice said (http://xrl.us/bntuys). The FCC is now providing a limited waiver until Dec. 1 “to enable states to take into account the guidance provided in this public notice regarding the showing that a state must make in order to opt out of the database,” it said. This notice detailed elements of how states should prepare for opting out. A third bureau notice sought to “provide guidance” to states on how to institute the FCC’s one-per-household rule and avoid duplicative support (http://xrl.us/bntuak). “Consistent with the one-per-household rule, once an ETC [eligible telecommunications carrier] determines through an examination of its records that it is providing Lifeline supported service to multiple subscribers at a single address, the ETC must provide each subscriber at that address with a one-per-household worksheet,” the bureau said. The subscriber needs to comply with appropriate steps within 30 days or be de-enrolled, the bureau added.