FCC Announces Lifeline Minimum Service Standards and Indexed Budget

The Federal Communication Commission updated minimum service standards for Lifeline-supported services. This standard will continue until December 1, 2024. Additionally, the FCC announced that the budget for federal universal service support for the Lifeline program for calendar year 2024 will be $2,778,691,284. 

• Mobile broadband minimum service standard: On July 7, 2023, the FCC extended for an additional year the waiver pausing the increase in the Lifeline minimum service standards for mobile broadband data capacity. As such, the standard will continue to be 4.5 GB per month until at least December 1, 2024.
• Fixed broadband minimum service standard for data usage allowance: Beginning December 1, 2023, the Lifeline minimum service standard for fixed broadband data usage will be 1280 GB per month, as calculated from the 2023 Urban Rate Survey data. 
• Mobile voice telephony minimum service standard: On December 1, 2023, the Lifeline minimum service standard for mobile voice service will remain unchanged, at 1000 minutes per month.