Lifeline Needs A Lifeline

In less than three months, nearly 800,000 low-income people who receive telephone subsidies through the Universal Service Fund's Lifeline program will be negatively impacted by changes scheduled to go into effect at the Federal Communications Commission on December 1, 2021. The FCC needs to change course and help more Americans keep connected to communications services that are essential to navigate the ongoing public health and economic crisis. Most importantly, the FCC should act swiftly and hit the pause button on the 2016 plan to zero-out support for voice-only services. During the pandemic, the stakes are just too high for anyone to be disconnected from essential communications networks. Then the FCC should launch a new effort to reform and further modernize the Lifeline program, informed by what we've witnessed during COVID, and the findings in Grant Thornton's and the FCC's own recent review of the Lifeline program. 

1. Lifeline needs to have foundational governance documents—such as strategic plans, performance objectives, and an integrated communications plan—to assist in the longitudinal success and guidance of the program.
2. The FCC has to consider raising Lifeline's monthly subsidy, $9.25, so it can make more meaningful services affordable for low-income families.
3. The FCC must adopt changes in the program so it better benefits the people it was created to connect. This includes understanding the composition of Lifeline households and the specific services they need, finding ways to improve program enrollment, and providing opportunities for consumer feedback.
4. Changes in the Lifeline program should encourage all telecommunications and broadband service providers to compete to serve low-income households in their service areas. 
5. The FCC should also consider revising its measure of affordability of broadband for low-income consumers. We need the FCC to act now to keep everyone connected. And we need the FCC to update the Lifeline program so everyone can rely on a basic level of connectivity no matter how much income they have.

[Adrianne B. Furniss is the Executive Director of the Benton Foundation.]