Civil Rights Groups Hammer FCC Lifeline Draft Order; SHLB, Others Knock Draft NPRM
Civil rights groups are blasting an FCC Lifeline draft item on the agenda for Thursday's commissioners' meeting. The draft last week came under attack from the wireless industry, civil rights groups and tribes (see 1711090057). "We expressed grave concern with…
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respect to several elements of the Draft Lifeline Order/NPRM that we believe will immediately diminish or destroy the program," said a filing of the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and others posted Monday in docket 11-42 on an earlier meeting with an aide to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. The groups asked the FCC not to target Lifeline broadband support to facilities-based providers only -- eliminating resellers -- nor to propose a hard annual cap or any "maximum discount" or "minimum payment" requirements. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human rights urged the FCC "to immediately reverse course." The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and others wrote all five commissioners to say they're "very concerned about the direction of the proposed reforms" in the draft's NPRM, which they said "could make it impossible for many low-income consumers to obtain access to affordable broadband services."