In response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the Wireline Competition Bureau waived certain Lifeline program rules in 13 previous Orders to provide relief for low-income households. The bureau finds good cause exists to continue to waive the Lifeline recertification and reverification requirements for those Lifeline subscribers residing on Tribal lands through April 30, 2023.
This waiver also addresses the potential impact that it may have on subscribers of both the Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Programs that were required to undergo recertification for calendar year 2022. The FCC says it will continue to monitor the situation to determine whether any more extension waivers are appropriate.
The FCC said good cause exists to extend the waiver of the Lifeline recertification and reverification requirements for consumers residing on Tribal lands through April 30. That’s based on the unique circumstances faced by Lifeline subscribers in those areas. As Smith Bagley, Inc. dba Cellular One outlined in its request for a further extension of the waivers in effect, Tribal governments continue to issue advisories recommending restrictions for communities residing on Tribal lands in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tribal areas are now facing additional pressures from increasing influenza and respiratory syncytial virus diagnosis (RSV), says the telecom.
Other factors such as the remoteness of Tribal areas also contribute to the unique challenges faced by Tribal subscribers when it comes to completing recertification and reverification. Cellular One also pointed to the need for a National Verifier connection to Arizona’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program database as another justification for further extension. The bureau notes that the National Verifier recently launched such a connection. The existence and continued operation of this database connection is largely why the FCC anticipates that no further extensions of these waivers will be needed.
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