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Universal Service Program
for Low-Income Consumers
The Low-Income program provides discounts on telephone installation
and monthly telephone service to qualifying consumers. The Low-Income
program is one of the components of the FCC's Universal Service Fund.
There are two programs available to qualified low-income consumers:
- Link-Up America helps consumers with telephone installation costs.
- Lifeline provides discounts on monthly telephone service.
Additional discounts are available to qualified subscribers living on
tribal lands. You can read more about the Low-Income program eligibility
criteria in the
FCC's Universal Service Program for Low-Income Consumers
| Carrier
Information on Providing Lifeline and Link-Up to Your Subscribers. |
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Over 1500 telephone companies in the United States and its territories
participate in the Federal Low-Income program.
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Many competitive and wireless telephone companies are eligible to
provide Lifeline and Link-Up support.
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In order to provide Lifeline and Link-Up, carriers must be designated
as Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) by their state commission
or the FCC.
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After receiving ETC designation, carriers must file a Form 497 each
quarter with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)
to receive support for the discounts they provide customers.
For more information on providing low-income support go to: www.universalservice.org/li
Public Notice: 5/16/08, The Wireline Competition Bureau
seeks comment on a Qwest request for review of three USAC low-income
audit findings. Comments are due on June 16, 2008 and reply comments
are due on July 1, 2008.
Public Notice: Word | Acrobat
Order: 4/30/08, The Wireline Competition Bureau grants
a petition filed by Micronesian Telecommunications Corporation and PTI
Pacifica, Inc. to waive the DTV notification requirements in section
54.418 of the Commission's rules.
Order: Word | Acrobat
Public Notice. 4/14/08, Wireline Competition Bureau
seeks comment on an AT&T petition, filed Jan. 7, 2008, seeking review
of a USAC audit decision. ATT seeks review of USAC’s finding that an
ETC must use Line 9 of FCC Form 497 if the ETC gains or loses Lifeline
customers mid-month. In its petition, AT&T asks the Commission to find
that USAC erred when it concluded that AT&T is required to populate Line
9 of the FCC Form 497 with partial or pro-rata dollars attributable to
Lifeline subscribers who entered or left the Lifeline program during
any given month, regardless of whether the company sought partial or
pro-rata dollars from USAC. DA 08-855 Acrobat | Word
Public Notice. 7/10/07, Deadline for Annual Lifeline
Verification Surveys. The Wireline Competition Bureau announces that
an eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) in a state with its own
state-based Low-Income program must submit a certification, signed by
an officer of the company to USAC by August 31, 2007, and on August 31
of each subsequent year thereafter, attesting that the ETC has complied
with the state verification procedures. DA 07-3088 Acrobat | Word
Public Notice. 3/16/07, Additional Comment Sought
on Petition of Genesis Communications International, Inc. for Declaratory
Rulings Regarding Lifeline Assistance Revenues. By this Public Notice,
the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks to refresh the record
on issues raised in the Petition of Genesis Communications International,
Inc. (Genesis) for Declaratory Rulings Regarding Lifeline Assistance
Revenues. Because comments and reply comments on the issue were filed
several years ago, the passage of time and intervening developments have
rendered the records developed by those commenters stale. Moreover, some
issues raised by commenters may have become moot or irrelevant in light
of intervening events. For these reasons, the Bureau requests that parties
refresh the record with any new information or arguments they believe
to be relevant to deciding the issues still pending. DA 07-1327 Acrobat | Word
Public Notice. 3/13/07, Wireline Competition Bureau
Seeks to Refresh the Record on Lifeline and Link-up. By this Public Notice,
the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks to refresh the record
on issues raised in the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the
Lifeline and Link-Up docket. Because comments on the issue were filed
several years ago, the passage of time and intervening developments may
have rendered the records developed by those commenters stale. Moreover,
some issues raised by commenters may have become moot or irrelevant in
light of intervening events. For these reasons, the Bureau requests that
parties refresh the record with any new information or arguments that
they believe to be relevant to deciding the issues still pending. The
refreshed record will enable the Commission to undertake appropriate
consideration of the issue of how best to provide support through the
Lifeline and Link-Up programs to more low-income individuals and families.
DA 07-1241 Acrobat | Word
Public Notice. 3/12/07, Wireline Competition Bureau
Seeks Additional Comment on Promoting Deployment and Subscribership in
Underserved Areas, Including "Near Reservation" Areas. By this Public
Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks to refresh the
record on issues raised in the Twelfth Report and Order and Twenty-Fifth
Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to
what constitutes a "near reservation" area for federal Lifeline and Link-Up
support purposes. Because comments on the issue were filed several years
ago, the passage of time and intervening developments have rendered the
records developed by those commenters stale. Moreover, some issues raised
by commenters may have become moot or irrelevant in light of intervening
events. For these reasons, the Bureau requests that parties refresh the
record with any new information or arguments that they believe to be
relevant to deciding the issues still pending. The refreshed record will
enable the Commission to undertake appropriate consideration of the issue
of how best to provide support through the Lifeline and Link-Up to "near
reservartion" areas. DA 07-1239 Acrobat | Word
Public Notice. 8/29/06, Illinois Commerce Commission
Informs the FCC that Illinois is not a "Federal Default State". DA 06-1738 Acrobat | Word
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Order. 6/6/05, The Wireline Competition Bureau
Granted the California Public Utilities Commission's and the People
of the State of California's Request to extend the date to establish
certification and verification procedures. (WC Dkt. No. 03-109
and CC Dkt No. 96-45) DA 05-1602 Acrobat | Word
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Public Notice. 5/18/05, The Wireline Competition
Bureau Answers Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Lifeline Order.
(Dkt. No. CC 96-45) DA 05-1406 Acrobat | Word
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Memorandum Opinion and Order. 3/30/05, The Commission
granted the petition of Smith Bagley, Inc. seeking waiver of Sections
54.400(e) of the Commission's Lifeline and Link-Up eligibility
rules. (WC Dkt. No. 03-109) FCC 05-77 Acrobat | Word
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Public Notice. 3/4/05, Wireline Competition Bureau
Announces Delay of Effective Date for Revised Form 497 used for
Low-Income Universal Service Support until further notice. (WC
Dkt. No. 03-109) DA 05-604 Acrobat | Word
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Public Notice. 10/4/04, The Wireline Competition
Bureau annouces delayed effective date for revised Form 497 for
Low-Income Universal Seerivce Support. (WC Dkt No. 03-109) DA 04-3188 Acrobat | Word
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4/29/04, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking. This Order expands the federal default eligibility
criteria to include an income-based criterion and additional
porgrams, adopts certification and verification procedures, and
adopts outreach guidelines. The Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
seek comment on adopting an eligibility criterion of 150% of
the Federal Poverty Guidelines. (WC Dkt No. 03-109) FCC 04-87 Acrobat | Word| Excel
Lifeline Study Tables
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Data. 4/29/04, Dataset used in Appendix K - Lifeline
Staff Analysis; Quantifying the effects of adding an income criterion
to the Lifeline eligibility criteria. (WC Dkt No. 03-109) FCC 04-87 Excel
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Order on Reconsideration and Order. 10/11/01,
Addresses petitions for reconsideration of the Twelfth Report and
Order, which adopted rules to provide additional targeted support
to low-income consumers on tribal lands, and clarifies rules regarding
the qualification criteria for enhanced Lifeline and Link-Up service
(CC Dkt No. 96-45) FCC 01-J-2 Acrobat | Text
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Public Notice. 10/11/01, Federal-State Joint
Board on Universal Service Seeks Comment on Review of Lifeline
and Link-Up Service For All Low-Income Consumers. (CC Dkt No. 96-45)
FCC 01-J-2 Acrobat | Text
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Public Notice. 3/27/01, The Commission released
a Public Notice concerning the petition of Genesis Communications
International, Inc. for Declaratory Ruling Regarding Lifeline Assistance
Revenues, Pleading Cycle Established. Comments Due: 04/26/2001.
Reply Comments Due: 05/11/2001. (CC Dkt No. 96-45) DA No. 01-757. Text | Word
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Public Notice. 3/14/01, The Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands has filed a request for expanded universal
service support for low-income consumers in the Commonwealth, similar
to the measures adopted in the Commission's Tribal Order for low-income
subscribers living on tribal lands. Comment Date: April 13, 2001,
Reply Comment Date: April 30, 2001 (CC Dkt No. 96-45) DA 01-622 Text | Word
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Correction to Public Notice 2/14/01, Common Carrier
Bureau seeks nomination for board member position representing
low-income consumer on Universal Service Administrative Company
Board of Directors. Nominations are due March 16, 2001. Due to
a typographical error, the Public Notice was released as DA 01-370,
rather than as DA 01-369. This document corrects the DA number
to DA 01-369. (Dkt No 96-45, 97-21). DA 01-370
Corrected Public Notice: DA 01-369 Text | Word 2/28/01
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Public Notice. 2/14/01, Common Carrier Bureau
Seeks Nomination for Board Member Position Representing Low-Income
Consumers on Universal Service Administrative Company Board of
Directors. (Dkt No 96-45 and 97-21). DA 01-370
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Order. 12/27/00, The Commission released Bell
Atlantic-PA Lifeline Database Order. This order waives the requirement
in the Commission's Lifeline eligibility rules that Bell Atlantic-PA
(now Verizon) obtain signed certifications of eligibility from
qualifying low-income consumers. Instead, the order allows Bell
Atlantic-PA to rely on a Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
database to verify the eligibility of low-income consumers, thereby
reducing burdens on consumers and Bell Atlantic. (CC Dkt. No. 96-45)
DA 00-2899 Text |Word
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Order. 12/21/2000, The Commission asked the Federal-State
Joint Board on Universal Service to review the definition of universal
service pursuant to 47 U.S.C. sections 254(c)(1) and (c)(2) and
to review Lifeline and Link Up service for all low-income customers.
(CC Dkt. No. 96-45 FCC 00-440) Text | Word
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Order. 7/12/2000, The Commission adopts measures
to: (1) promote telecommunications subscribership and infrastructure
deployment within American Indian and Alaska Native tribal communities;
(2) establish a framework for the resolution of eligible telecommunications
carrier designation requests; and (3) apply the framework to pending
petitions for designation as eligible telecommunications carriers.
(CC Dkt. No. 96-45) FCC 00-208: Acrobat | Text | Word
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