FCC Announces Census Blocks in Which Eligible Lifeline Consumers Can Continue To Receive Discounted Voice-Only Lifeline Services

The Federal Communications Commission announces those Census blocks where Lifeline support for voice-only service will continue at $5.25 per month from Dec 1, 2021 through Nov 30, 2022. These Census blocks can be found on the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) website.

In the 2016 Lifeline Order, the FCC outlined a shift in the Lifeline program towards a greater focus on supporting broadband services for Lifeline eligible consumers. As part of that effort, the FCC adopted a transition period to phase down support for voice-only Lifeline services before reimbursement for such services would decrease to $0 on Dec 1, 2021. The FCC also adopted an exception to this complete phase-down in voice-only support and continued Lifeline support, in the amount of $5.25 per subscriber per month, for qualifying voice-only services provided to Lifeline eligible subscribers in Census blocks where there is only one Lifeline provider. The FCC directed the Bureau to identify Census blocks where there is only one Lifeline provider and to announce those Census blocks by June 1 of each year. The FCC's action June 1 is intended to comply with the requirements of the 2016 Lifeline Order. This Public Notice is not intended to prejudice the pending Petition for Reconsideration from the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), which requested that the FCC reconsider the phase down in Lifeline support for voice-only services, nor to impact the FCC’s work towards the completion of the State of the Lifeline Marketplace Report, which the FCC directed to release by June 30, 2021