The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC or Commission) Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) has adopted an Order temporarily waiving the Lifeline program’s recertification and reverification requirements for 60 days in light of the public health emergency associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. This waiver will impact Lifeline subscribers with recertification and reverification dates on or between April 14, 2020 and August 14, 2020. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has been directed to not respond to any new reverification requests until after May 16, 2020 and provide impacted subscribers with opportunity to provide any necessary documentation after that date.
The Bureau has also waived, for 60 days, the requirement for eligible telecommunications carriers’ (ETCs) enrollment representatives to register with USAC to access the Lifeline systems. As the effective date of this waiver is not till March 26, 2020, the waiver period will end on May 25, 2020. The Commission will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic to determine whether additional waivers of these deadlines are necessary.
