More States Seek Lifeline National Verifier Waiver
Nebraska will join other states seeking waiver of Wednesday's Lifeline national verifier start in many places, Public Service Commissioner Crystal Rhoades (D) told us Friday. Connecticut and Georgia sought waiver, too. Five states so far have sought delay, raising concerns about state database access for eligibility verification. Many are concerned the NV will incorrectly cause eligible poor consumers to be dropped from or not be able to start being subscribers to government-subsidized broadband and phone service from private-sector companies.
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Unless the FCC grants waivers, eligible telecom carriers will be required Wednesday to use the NV for consumers applying for Lifeline in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. New York and Vermont earlier sought more time (see 1910100007). State commissions that haven't sought a waiver didn't comment Friday.
Nebraska sought six more months. “The hard launch of the National Verifier has raised some concerns in Nebraska due to the significant number of Nebraska consumers who may be improperly dropped from the program,” the Nebraska PSC petitioned, which it emailed us. It wrote that as Vermont and New York say, Universal Service Administrative Co. "is working with states but as of the present time does not have access to databases containing enrollment information for Nebraska’s administered low-income programs.”
Connecticut wants nine more months, it requested Friday. "Connecticut and USAC have been working diligently on addressing certain legal and technical issues so that the National Verifier can process applications using an automated eligibility processing system," petitioned Connecticut's Public Utility Regulatory Authority and Attorney General William Tong (D). "Without access to state data, USAC must attempt manual verification, which is more time consuming, less accurate, and more likely to result in otherwise eligible individuals being denied. In other states where USAC has resorted to manual verification, Lifeline enrollment and reverification has dropped dramatically."
USAC hasn’t started reviewing Nebraska enrollment data, but failure rates in other states are “significant,” the PSC said. While the state agency "has been working with USAC in good faith, we have concerns that a hard launch without further coordination will be harmful to those currently validly enrolled in the Lifeline program.”
To keep low-income consumers from losing Lifeline benefits, Georgia needs more time, said Public Service Commission Chairman Bubba McDonald (R). The agency's petition posted Thursday in docket 17-287. Georgia and USAC are working on a state database sharing agreement for automated verification, he said.
The FCC declined comment. USAC didn't comment.