FCC Launches Investigations into Suspect Lifeline Providers

The Federal Communications Commission launched investigations into Lifeline providers for possible violations of program rules in California and other opt-out states. Based on initial reports, it appears that these providers enrolled dead and duplicate subscribers in Lifeline, a program that provides low-income Americans with a discount on their phone and internet service. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has sent formal Letters of Inquiry to an initial group of providers operating in states that opted to run their own program eligibility verifications instead of mandating the use of the National Verifier.