The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau waived certain Lifeline, E-Rate, Emergency Connectivity Fund, Rural Health Care, and High-Cost rules and deadlines to assist participants and service providers located in areas affected by Hurricane Milton. It also suspended rules and deadlines for USF contributors located in the disaster areas.
The eligibility and re-certification rules for carriers serving Lifeline subscribers are forgiven through November 15. The agency is also waiving the rule requiring Lifeline subscribers to demonstrate continued eligibility for the program, through December 15. This will prevent the de-enrollment of Lifeline subscribers, according to the bureau.
Concerning E-Rate, the agency is suspending the 60-day deadline to file appeals and requests for waiver and document retention and production requirements for participating E-Rate applicants and service providers whose documents were destroyed by Milton.
On a temporary basis, the Commission is waiving Emergency Connectivity Fund rules such as the 30-day deadline to file appeals and requests for waiver; and document retention and production requirements for E-Rate applicants and service providers whose documents were destroyed.
For the Rural Health Care Program, the 60-day deadline to file appeals and requests for waiver is waived. So too is the 14-day deadline to respond to USAC information requests and the five-year documentation retention and production rules.
Given the substantial service disruptions and outages caused by Milton, affected carriers “may find it extremely difficult and burdensome to conduct performance testing in the fourth quarter of 2024 for the High-Cost Program,” states the FCC. Because of the “extreme nature” of Hurricane Milton, the Commission is waiving the testing requirements for the fourth quarter of 2024 for any carrier serving a location in the disaster area, rather than requiring the affected carriers to reschedule. The bureau says the waiver is in the public interest “as it allows affected carriers to reapportion resources to better meet their customers’ needs during storm recovery.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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