AARP, Others Urge FCC to Back Off Lifeline Proposals; Agency Defends Plan, Touts Outreach
Almost 70 groups asked the FCC to reconsider Lifeline USF proposals that would "weaken" the low-income telecom subsidy program and cause "irreparable harm" to consumers, especially seniors. "Lifeline helps older, low-income Americans find and keep a job, get help in…
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the case of an emergency, to access news and information, and to keep in touch with families, educators and health providers," said a filing Wednesday in docket 17-287 by AARP, United Church of Christ Office of Communication and others. "According to one major provider, nearly a third of Lifeline customers are over the age of 55, and 36 percent are disabled." The groups objected to a proposal to exclude pure resellers and voiced concerns "about the implications of mandatory co-pays and an automatic self-executing budget cap," particularly during the next economic downturn: "Rationing Lifeline benefits and limiting service providers will harm older adults in the U.S., who are already struggling. The FCC must keep the Lifeline program’s focus on people and maintain affordable voice and broadband service for all." Consumer Action, one of the groups, further criticized the Lifeline proposals and noted FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was in South Carolina Thursday. Pai "talks a good game about closing the digital divide, but it is impossible to ignore the fact that nothing he has put on the table would offset the estimated 92,000 people in South Carolina who would lose cell phone or broadband service if the FCC proceeds with the Chairman’s attempts to radically reshape the Lifeline program," said Executive Director Ken McEldowney. An FCC spokeswoman emailed in response to Consumer Action: "This false and ridiculous claim is based on a series of inaccurate assumptions, most notably that no Lifeline participants would switch to a facilities-based provider. Chairman Pai has made it clear that Lifeline is an important program for helping to close the digital divide. It’s therefore important that the FCC take steps to reduce the well-documented waste, fraud, and abuse within the program. Every Lifeline dollar that is wasted is by definition a dollar that can’t be spent connecting low-income Americans with digital opportunity.” The FCC "is working to promote the benefits of broadband service among older Americans," blogged Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief Patrick Webre, who said the bureau "is increasing its outreach efforts to seniors, engaging with partners such as the American Library Association in a campaign to help older Americans 'Get Connected.'" The bureau is also launching a "Getting Connected to Broadband" webpage "with seniors in mind while including information relevant to all generations."