Aspiring Lifeline broadband providers and others urged the FCC to reinstate nine companies whose LBP designations were revoked by a Wireline Bureau order that Chairman Ajit Pai defends. State regulators opposed reinstatement and urged the commission to repeal its LBP process, which they say illegally bypasses state authority to designate carriers eligible for the USF Lifeline subsidies. LBP aspirants urged the FCC to at least make providers eligible for the program's low-income support in states where the federal commission has jurisdiction. Parties filed comments posted Thursday and Friday in docket 11-42 on requests to reconsider the Feb. 3 revocation order (see 1702030070 and 1703020059).
Aspiring Lifeline broadband providers and others urged the FCC to reinstate nine companies whose LBP designations were revoked by a Wireline Bureau order that Chairman Ajit Pai defends. State regulators opposed reinstatement and urged the commission to repeal its LBP process, which they say illegally bypasses state authority to designate carriers eligible for the USF Lifeline subsidies. LBP aspirants urged the FCC to at least make providers eligible for the program's low-income support in states where the federal commission has jurisdiction. Parties filed comments posted Thursday and Friday in docket 11-42 on requests to reconsider the Feb. 3 revocation order (see 1702030070 and 1703020059).
Boomerang Wireless asked the FCC to delay revoking its Lifeline broadband status until the agency or state regulators act on its long-pending petitions to become a USF-eligible telecom carrier (ETC) in numerous states. Boomerang said de-enrolling 17,538 affected Lifeline subscribers under the Wireline Bureau's Feb. 3 Lifeline broadband provider revocation order would be disruptive despite a 60-day transition given the company to migrate the customers to rivals. Some other providers criticized the FCC decision to revoke the LBP designations of nine companies, including Boomerang, pending further review (see 1702030070).
Boomerang Wireless asked the FCC to delay revoking its Lifeline broadband status until the agency or state regulators act on its long-pending petitions to become a USF-eligible telecom carrier (ETC) in numerous states. Boomerang said de-enrolling 17,538 affected Lifeline subscribers under the Wireline Bureau's Feb. 3 Lifeline broadband provider revocation order would be disruptive despite a 60-day transition given the company to migrate the customers to rivals. Some other providers criticized the FCC decision to revoke the LBP designations of nine companies, including Boomerang, pending further review (see 1702030070).
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai defended a rollback of Lifeline broadband provider designations amid criticisms from Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and others (see 1702030070 and 1702060062). "It’s vital that low-income Americans have access to communications services, including broadband Internet, which Lifeline helps to achieve," Pai wrote in a Tuesday blog post, which also reiterated his broader, initial efforts to close the digital divide. He recognized there are questions about why the Wireline Bureau issued a Lifeline broadband provider (LBP) reconsideration order Friday.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai defended a rollback of Lifeline broadband provider designations amid criticisms from Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and others (see 1702030070 and 1702060062). "It’s vital that low-income Americans have access to communications services, including broadband Internet, which Lifeline helps to achieve," Pai wrote in a Tuesday blog post, which also reiterated his broader, initial efforts to close the digital divide. He recognized there are questions about why the Wireline Bureau issued a Lifeline broadband provider (LBP) reconsideration order Friday.
States are preparing low-income phone programs for federal changes to Lifeline, as the FCC Dec. 1 implementation deadline nears. With several Lifeline rules taking effect Dec. 2, under an FCC schedule (see 1610030040), NARUC General Counsel Brad Ramsay predicted some states will support a USTelecom petition to give some states more time. The Kentucky Public Service Commission plans to issue soon an order about how the changes affect its program, the Minnesota PUC released an order last week, and commissions in California and the District of Columbia are collecting comments. States have sued the FCC over the order, which added broadband internet access service (BIAS) as a supported service in the program.
States are preparing low-income phone programs for federal changes to Lifeline, as the FCC Dec. 1 implementation deadline nears. With several Lifeline rules taking effect Dec. 2, under an FCC schedule (see 1610030040), NARUC General Counsel Brad Ramsay predicted some states will support a USTelecom petition to give some states more time. The Kentucky Public Service Commission plans to issue soon an order about how the changes affect its program, the Minnesota PUC released an order last week, and commissions in California and the District of Columbia are collecting comments. States have sued the FCC over the order, which added broadband internet access service (BIAS) as a supported service in the program.
States, the FCC and industry plan extensive outreach to reduce consumer confusion about changes to Lifeline that will allow the USF program for low-income people to get broadband and not just phone service, officials said on a Wednesday webinar staged by the National Regulatory Research Institute, the research arm of NARUC. "We think it's very important that we help in getting the word out … because there will be a lot of confusion," said Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable Commissioner Karen Charles Peterson. Lifeline tops the department’s list for planned outreach efforts, and the state government hopes the low-income program will play a big role in a state effort to increase broadband adoption, she said. The FCC plans to make copious amounts of information available through its website and other outreach venues, said Wireline Bureau Telecommunications Access Policy Division Chief Ryan Palmer. TracFone plans targeted communications to customers rather than a broad and generalized approach, said the company’s Corporate Counsel Stephen Athanson. AT&T sees potential for customer confusion because it will take some time for states to sync their programs with the federal program, said Executive Director-Public Policy Beth Fujimoto. She said the company supports a USTelecom reconsideration request pending at the FCC, including deferring the effective date of the streamlined eligibility criteria to give states more time to make necessary changes (see 1608090023). States won’t find a uniform method to implement the order, said Peterson. "Each state is unique and they're going to have to address it in their own way." The commissioner said one concern of states is what happens to consumers’ ability to call 911 if they're moved from voice to broadband plans. She said the issue is “hard to explain to the average citizen.” Massachusetts plans to work with consumers, industry and the FCC “to make sure a consumer doesn’t have to pick” between voice and broadband, she said.
States, the FCC and industry plan extensive outreach to reduce consumer confusion about changes to Lifeline that will allow the USF program for low-income people to get broadband and not just phone service, officials said on a Wednesday webinar staged by the National Regulatory Research Institute, the research arm of NARUC. "We think it's very important that we help in getting the word out … because there will be a lot of confusion," said Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable Commissioner Karen Charles Peterson. Lifeline tops the department’s list for planned outreach efforts, and the state government hopes the low-income program will play a big role in a state effort to increase broadband adoption, she said. The FCC plans to make copious amounts of information available through its website and other outreach venues, said Wireline Bureau Telecommunications Access Policy Division Chief Ryan Palmer. TracFone plans targeted communications to customers rather than a broad and generalized approach, said the company’s Corporate Counsel Stephen Athanson. AT&T sees potential for customer confusion because it will take some time for states to sync their programs with the federal program, said Executive Director-Public Policy Beth Fujimoto. She said the company supports a USTelecom reconsideration request pending at the FCC, including deferring the effective date of the streamlined eligibility criteria to give states more time to make necessary changes (see 1608090023). States won’t find a uniform method to implement the order, said Peterson. "Each state is unique and they're going to have to address it in their own way." The commissioner said one concern of states is what happens to consumers’ ability to call 911 if they're moved from voice to broadband plans. She said the issue is “hard to explain to the average citizen.” Massachusetts plans to work with consumers, industry and the FCC “to make sure a consumer doesn’t have to pick” between voice and broadband, she said.