New FCC Lifeline Policy Would Be a 'Death Sentence' for Puerto Ricans Recovering from Hurricanes

A new rule championed by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai would limit internet and phone access for millions of low-income and elderly Americans. Chairman Pai's proposed changes to the Lifeline program, which currently serves 12 million Americans by providing subsidized phone and internet service, would cut service to about 70 percent, or 8 million, of them. Many of these recipients live in Puerto Rico and rely on Lifeline for assistance as they recover from Hurricanes Maria and Irma. “Proposed changes to the Lifeline Program would limit access to millions of Americans, many of whom live in Puerto Rico," said Manuel Laboy, secretary of Economic Development and Commerce of Puerto Rico. "This action would disrupt the positive momentum we’re already seeing in the strengthening of Puerto Rico’s economy and the transformation of the island.”  These changes are a “death sentence,” for vulnerable Americans, said Luis Belén, CEO of National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved, a nonprofit that works closely with the U.S. government and the Puerto Rican health care community. “Lifeline is a tool that is utilized to alert and communicate with underserved communities in times of disaster,” he said.