FCC's Lifeline expansion could see changes before vote

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Federal Communications Commission member Mignon Clyburn signaled that there could be late changes to the planned overhaul of Lifeline, the FCC’s phone subsidy program for low-income Americans. Commissioner Clyburn said is sympathetic to concerns from the wireless industry and she will help make changes if the regulations do not strike the right balance.

"My office has been inundated with concerns about the call for minimum standards, particularly for mobile voice," she said. "But the strongest part of the FCC's process, one that is the envy of regulators from across the globe, is that our process enables parties to give and receive feedback. If parties believe that the current proposal doesn't strike the right balance, I have been clear from the beginning that I am open to taking appropriate adjustments, and I plan to live up to that promise." Commissioner Clyburn would not say whether she has proposed any specific changes. She said nothing is "set in stone" and noted she is still in "listening mode."

The FCC's plan sets a number of minimum service standards on the speed of Internet and the data allowance of smartphone plans. By December, the FCC will also require Lifeline providers of simple voice-only cellphone service to offer unlimited-minute plans. By 2019, Lifeline will transition completely away from wireless voice-only service. The wireless industry has lobbied hard over the past few weeks against the December change to require unlimited minutes. They argue that the $9.25 per month Lifeline subsidies would not fully cover the price of unlimited plans currently on the market, meaning that some low-income families would not be able to cover the extra cost.


FCC's Lifeline expansion could see changes before vote