Texas Telephone Association Urges PUC to Reject Lifeline Resellers
National wireless resellers “want the additional revenues, but not all the additional obligations” that come with providing low-income services in Texas, said the Texas Telephone Association. TTA replied Monday to National Lifeline Association comments in docket 48979 urging the Texas…
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Public Utility Commission to review a state Lifeline requirement it said is keeping non-facilities-based providers from participating (see 1903250043). Resellers “have not been able to demonstrate that they meet the statutory requirement of providing all elements of [basic local telecommunications service] and have instead sought waivers from these requirements or have simply argued that these requirements should not apply to them,” the association said. “If the Commission decides to shift its policies and allow companies that do not invest in network facilities in Texas to become [eligible telecom providers] for the limited purpose of receiving low-income support, the Texas low-income support program could grow by nearly $16 million annually,” possibly increasing the Texas USF surcharge, TTA said. The FCC in 2017 proposed banning resellers from Lifeline, it noted.