FCC Provides Guidance on Revised Lifeline USF Reimbursement of Eligible Telecom Carriers
FCC staff offered guidance on the Lifeline USF reimbursement process for eligible telecom carriers (ETCs), consistent with the direction the commission gave to the Universal Service Administrative Co. to devise a transition plan for phasing out Form 497. Starting "with…
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the January 2018 data month, payment of Lifeline support for all ETCs in all states and territories (except for NLAD opt-out states) will be based on subscriber data contained in the National Lifeline Accountability Database," said a Wireline Bureau public notice in Thursday's Daily Digest. "Under the revised reimbursement process, payments will be made based on the number of subscribers enrolled with an ETC in the NLAD on the snapshot date for that month or, in NLAD opt-out states, based on data received either from the state or directly from the ETC. Further, beginning with data month January 2018, all ETCs must file their reimbursement request with USAC for subscribers being claimed for that month using USAC’s online E-File system." The PN provided further details on those filings and said the new process aligns with FCC plans to have a national entity verify consumer low-income eligibility for the program.