NARUC Presses FCC to Nix Proposal to Bar Lifeline Resellers, Backs Federal ETC Reversal
NARUC "strongly disagrees" with an FCC Lifeline proposal to prohibit pure resellers from being part of the low-income consumer telecom subsidy program. "Non-facilities-based carriers, currently serving 75 percent of eligible users, should continue to receive Lifeline funds, in part, because,…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
even with a transition period, the potential to disrupt and even eliminate service to literally millions of eligible users is obvious," said a filing Monday in docket 17-287 by General Counsel Brad Ramsay on meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Brendan Carr. He said the record shows almost no support for the proposal, or evidence it would spur additional broadband investment. NARUC backs the FCC's "determination" that the commission can't bypass state authority to designate Lifeline eligible telecom carriers. An NPRM proposed to end federal designation of Lifeline broadband providers and pre-emption of states' role in designating certain ETCs (see 1711160021).