FCC Puts Temporary Hold on Total Call Mobile Lifeline Reimbursement

the bureau said. "It shall be effective beginning with TCM’s request for reimbursement in all states filed for the data month of May 2016, and shall remain in effect pending the Bureau’s receipt and evaluation of TCM’s final, complete response to the Bureau’s letter of June 1, 2016 and subject to the Bureau notifying USAC of any change in the terms of the temporary hold." The bureau noted the commission issued a notice of apparent liability for forfeiture and order resulting from an investigation by the Enforcement Bureau. The notice proposed fining Total Call Mobile $51 million for allegedly enrolling tens of thousands of duplicate and ineligible consumers into the low-income telecom support program (see 1604080032). Total Call Mobile General Counsel Mike Morrissey told us his company was "a bit surprised" by the FCC action "because we thought we had been responding" adequately. He said TCM had told the FCC it couldn't provide all the information the agency sought by June 13, but it provided over 120,000 documents, and planned to provide the rest by June 27. "Frankly, we hadn't heard there was a problem with that," he said, but the company is now trying to complete its submissions to the commission by Friday. "I think we’re working this out and believe we will be able to do so to their satisfaction and show that whatever happened back in 2013 and 2014, that we’re now in full compliance" with their reimbursement rules, he said, suggesting it could take weeks, not months.