The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC or Commission) Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) has announced the launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier) in California effective December 18, 2020. Currently, the California state agency has conducted Lifeline eligibility directly and collaborated with the Bureau and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to conduct eligibility verification with the National Verifier.
Starting December 18, 2020, the National Verifier will take responsibility for eligibility verification for all new subscribers of standalone broadband service and eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) are required to cease using legacy eligibility processes for such subscribers. USAC will contact ETCs in California to provide support during this transition to the National Verifier. Furthermore, California ETCs are expected to provide eligibility data to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) starting with claims filed in January 2021 for the December 2020 data month. Starting March 2021, USAC will begin rejecting any ETC reimbursement claims if the ETC has not provided such eligibility data to the CPUC.
