FCC to Vote to Open New Lifeline Proceeding

On January 28, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission released a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing significant reforms to its Lifeline program, which makes communications services more affordable for low-income households. The FCC cites program integrity concerns, fraud prevention, and waste reduction as primary motivations. These proposals would substantially affect both Lifeline subscribers and participating service providers. Proposed changes include:

• Lifeline would be classified as a "federal public benefit" under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
• Only U.S. citizens and "qualified aliens" would be eligible
• Qualified aliens may face a five-year waiting period after entry to the U.S. before eligibility
• Use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to verify immigration status
• Possible requirement to provide a full 9-digit Social Security number instead of the last 4 digits