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Oregon PUC Says Only Outgoing Text Messages Should Be Covered Under Lifeline Program

If the FCC grants TracFone’s petition to allow text messages to be considered "supported" usage of Lifeline service, it should do so only for outgoing messages, the Public Utility Commission of Oregon said in a filing posted Wednesday. Outgoing text…

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messages could mesh with the FCC’s current rule, which considers only active customer communications to be supported Lifeline services, the PUC said. Incoming text messages shouldn’t be defined as supported usage because, "like a voicemail message, which doesn’t qualify as usage under the current rule, the text could be left unopened indefinitely or for long periods of time,” the PUC said.