The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) has announced the implementation of a process for resolving duplicative support provided by multiple Lifeline providers to the same household (inter-company household duplicates). A household is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Pursuant to the Lifeline program’s rules, a household may only subscribe to one Lifeline service. Under the Bureau’s resolution process, a Lifeline provider is required to inform its subscribers that are labeled as inter-company household duplicates that they must complete a household worksheet. If a worksheet shows that a subscriber is part of an independent economic household, the subscriber will be allowed to keep his Lifeline service. However, if the worksheet shows otherwise or the subscriber fails to return a completed worksheet, the Lifeline carrier must de-enroll the subscriber from the Lifeline program. Lifeline providers have until December 23, 2014, to obtain a valid household worksheet from any subscribers identified as inter-company duplicates, and must make required de-enrollments by December 30, 2014.
