The National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier) will launch by December 31, 2017 in the six states of Colorado, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming while undergoing a soft launch elsewhere. Established in the FCC’s 2016 Lifeline Order, the National Verifier will verify Lifeline subscriber eligibility, conduct checks to prevent duplicate benefits, recertify subscriber eligibility, and calculate support payments to eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs). The National Verifier will have a soft launch starting December 5, 2017, during which time ETCs will be able to use the National Verifier for eligibility determinations while still relying on existing verification processes. Also during the soft launch period, the National Verifier will begin verifying Lifeline consumer eligibility in the six initial launch states. March 13, 2018 marks the hard launch date after which all eligibility determinations and recertifications in the six initial states must be conducted by the National Verifier. The National Verifier is set to become mandatory nationwide by the end of 2019.
