State Role in Lifeline Revamp Debated at FCBA Panel
Panelists at an FCBA lunch Wednesday debated states’ role in determining Lifeline eligibility as the FCC seeks to revamp the program. They agreed that a database should be created to improve efficiency of the program, differing on how the process should be conducted.
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The FCC needs to identify priorities as it revamps the Lifeline program, said John Nakahata of Wiltshire Grannis, a former commission chief of staff. The agency should make clear who’s entitled to what, he said. The reality is that many consumers, especially young adults, are becoming wireless-only, he said. The bottom line is anyone should be able to make emergency calls at anytime and anywhere, he said. Telecom is all about personal communication, so the one-per-household rule is not a good policy, he said. It’s going to very difficult to draft rules for one-per-household or one-per-resident, TracFone counsel Rick Brecher said. There would be many exceptions due to various living situation, he said. Whatever rules the FCC comes up with need to have some flexibility, he said.
Service providers shouldn’t be in the business of determining eligibility, because there’s no reason for them to have an applicant’s eligibility information, said Cathy Carpino, an attorney with AT&T. States have an essential role, and they are in the position to determine eligibility, she said. The problem of providers obtaining consumer information is a privacy issue by design, Nakahata said. States, closest to low-income populations, should have an important role like helping define eligibility rules going forward, he said.
Having a database would enable ETCs to prevent duplication, said Brecher. That could be done at the national level, he said. Another goal of having a database is to allow ETCs to verify qualification, which could be done at the state level, he said. Some states already have their own database that ETCs use to determine applicants’ qualification, he said. He noted that there’s a dual regulatory jurisdiction on Lifeline: The FCC sets the rules, while states have the authority of ETC designation. Some uniformity is needed, Brecher said. Given that the Lifeline program is increasingly becoming national in scope, having some uniformed standards that states can follow is necessary, he said. Nakahata said he’s skeptical of creating a single nationwide database.