Lifeline Coalition Seeks Modifications to USAC's Draft National Verifier Plan

telecom/broadband services "proposes features that would inhibit, rather than encourage, more efficient and effective enrollment and recertification," said LCC in comments posted Tuesday in FCC docket 11-42. The coalition -- which consists of American Broadband & Telecommunications, Blue Jay Wireless, i-wireless and Telrite -- made recommendations in five areas: "First, the National Verifier must include real-time review of enrollments, including where manual review of proof of eligibility is necessary. Second, the National Verifier should involve service providers early and often in the recertification process. Third, the National Verifier’s Tribal residency verification should include collection of the Tribal residency certification at enrollment and a safe harbor for service providers, and USAC should cease wasteful and unnecessary auditing of service providers. ... Fourth, service providers should continue to be able to facilitate dispute resolutions for applicants in real-time at enrollment as they do today rather than requiring applicants to separately submit documentation by mail or web portal. Fifth, the National Verifier should permit service providers to correct their snapshot totals when they certify their subscriber lists to USAC, and should afford service providers flexibility to make corrections and revisions to their reimbursement requests, including upward adjustments in limited, appropriate circumstances." USAC, which the FCC assigned the job of creating the national verifier, expects to release a "final" plan in January, though it's to be updated during implementation over the next three years (see 1612070015).