The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC or Commission) Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) has issued an Order extending the recent waivers of certain Lifeline program rules for subscribers residing in rural areas on Tribal lands through November 30, 2020, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bureau determined that the conditions that necessitated the waivers have not materially changed and thus the extension is warranted. This extension applies to the waivers of the Lifeline recertification, reverification, general de-enrollment, subscriber usage, income documentation, and documentation requirements. The Bureau directs the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to not de-enroll any of these Lifeline subscribers for failure to successfully respond to a reverification documentation request. USAC has also been directed to provide impacted subscribers a new opportunity to provide any necessary eligibility documentation after the end of the waiver period.
