Lifeline low-income customers qualify for free phone service through the wireline competition bureau and the federal communications commission. To be eligible, customers must meet certain criteria. Lifeline customers who meet the guidelines must notify their carriers within 30 days if they do not meet those criteria any longer. This notification must be made even if another household member is also receiving the benefit. In addition, Lifeline low-income customers must report a change in their household’s income status within 30 days.
Wireline Competition Bureau
The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on petitions filed by eligible telecommunications companies regarding implementing Lifeline guidelines. The deadline for comments is July 2. The Bureau will consider a variety of petitions, including those by NTCH and OneLink Wireless. The petitions seek to designate a portion of their service areas as Lifeline ETCs. The order is intended to promote competition and allow eligible telecommunications companies to compete with their competitors for Lifeline customers.
The Lifeline Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, released on February 6, will address the petitions submitted by the service providers. The Bureau will also issue guidance on compliance plans. The Commission will accept the plan after receiving comments from the public. While the Commission has the final say, the rules are subject to amendment. In addition, the FCC has the authority to grant limited waivers to allow carriers to continue providing Lifeline low-income customers s.
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission seeks comment on the Broadband Adoption Lifeline Pilot Program. Applicants must meet the requirements of Section 214(e)(6) of the Communications Act and the FCC’s rules to be eligible. Consumer Cellular, Inc. filed this petition to provide services to the entire Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. While it meets the FCC’s eligibility requirements, it does not seek ETC designation for high-cost universal service support. It also has a petition pending with the FCC seeking forbearance from the facilities-based ETC rule.
The new Lifeline Modernization Order has included broadband as a support service. It also established minimum service standards for Lifeline-supported services and created a new National Eligibility Verifier to make independent eligibility determinations. These changes are scheduled to be effective on December 1, 2016, and the minimum support amounts will be implemented 60 days after the PRA is approved. The federal government anticipates that these new requirements will reduce the risk of fraud and waste and increase broadband service available for low-income customers.
Income-based eligibility determination
The federal Lifeline program requires specific information from households to determine Lifeline eligibility. Failure to submit this information may result in the denial of Lifeline benefits. For this reason, consumers must complete a standardized application form. Beginning July 2018, all consumers must submit standardized Lifeline applications. This means that lifeline companies will not use an application that is not complete and accurate. In addition, all consumers will need to provide a certified copy of their household tax return to receive the Lifeline discount.
To qualify for Lifeline services, low-income customers must meet specific income requirements. If a consumer meets the income requirements, a telecommunications carrier must waive the Federal End User Common Line charge for low-income consumers. Additionally, the carrier must apply additional Federal support to qualifying low-income consumers’ intrastate rates. The carrier must also provide a minimum level of broadband Internet access service and voice service to eligible low-income customers.
Annual certification
Eligible telecommunications carriers must recertify annually to continue to offer Lifeline to low-income customers. Each year, these telecommunications carriers must certify the ETCs’ compliance with federal default states and state verification processes. The deadline for certification is August 31. Once a telecommunications carrier receives a certificate, it must notify the TC’s customers of its efforts to recertify them within five business days.
To certify your low-income lifeline service, you must meet certain requirements and be a resident of a Federally recognized Tribal Land. Once certified, you must submit the re-certification form annually to keep your service. Obtaining the form from the cooperative is the first step in the process. Next, the cooperative will request proof of income from a prior year’s federal, state, or tribal tax return. The exact details of acceptable documentation will vary from cooperative to cooperative, but you should contact the cooperative for the most current guidelines.
Limitation on discounts per household
The Limitation on Discounts Per Household for Lifeline Low-Income Customers program requires eligible telecommunications carriers to produce a certification form for prospective Lifeline subscribers sharing an address. The form, known as the Household Worksheet, is provided by the Wireline Competition Bureau. In addition, state Lifeline administrators may require prospective Lifeline customers to complete forms specific to the state where they live.
For Lifeline low-income customers in California, it is possible to obtain one discount for a single line of service. However, you can receive multiple discounts if you are a TTY user or a Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program member. In addition, you cannot use the discount to transfer to another service provider. To share a deal with another provider, you must transfer your service to Verizon.
