The FCC should adopt “a strict ‘one-per-household’ limit” to help...

suggested the FCC create a “one-per-eligible-adult” rule. “But there is no reason to base a rule of general applicability on unique circumstances that may be faced in specific serving areas,” NTCA officials told Wireline Bureau staffer Garnet Hanly in a their meeting, according to Thursday’s notice (http://xrl.us/bmmoj8). “Rather, much like its waiver-based approach to many questions in the context of recent reforms of high-cost USF support, the … Commission … could always allow providers who believe they serve areas of such special interest to request a waiver of the ‘one-per-household’ limit,” NTCA said. The group also backed “a robust national database” to head off fraud, waste and abuse, its ex parte notice said. But NTCA is worried about “subsidizing non-facilities-based providers through the Lifeline program,” the group said. “Although competition may be a desirable policy outcome, Lifeline’s fundamental purpose and funding resources should be aimed at ensuring that low-income consumers can obtain essential telecommunications services at affordable rates.” Windstream had a meeting of its own with Wireline Bureau staff, the company said in a separate ex parte notice. Windstream, which has 106,000 Lifeline customers across 19 states, urged the FCC to tailor “non-usage” rules so that they “minimize reimbursement for customers who have abandoned their service” (http://xrl.us/bmmokc). The commission can also help things out by requiring a minimum charge for Lifeline service, Windstream said. “By paying for service at least in part, Lifeline customers will demonstrate that they find meaningful value in the service, sufficient to warrant supplemental expenditure of federal support,” Windstream said. While Windstream supports rules that would end “Link Up support for unjustified service activation fees,” the FCC “should continue the Link Up program” for what Windstream called “full” eligible telecommunications carriers “that customarily charge activation fees,” the company said. Turning to the question of whether ETCs should be required to offer Lifeline through their designated service areas, Windstream said that if the FCC does adopt such requirements it should “be consistent” and “adopt measures to ensure that these services are ‘affordable’ … and in particular, should maintain Link Up for customary service initiation charges imposed by full ETCs.”