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Telecommunications The United States Federal Communications Commission Lifeline Program

Venable LLP

Enduring Delegations - Supreme Court Rejects Nondelegation Challenges to the FCC’s Administration of the Universal Service Fund in...

Venable LLP on

The nondelegation doctrine prevents Congress from giving away too much of its legislative power to other entities. After a strong showing in 1935, the nondelegation doctrine has remained dormant, with the Supreme Court...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Eligible Households on Tribal Lands Can Enroll in FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

Holland & Knight LLP on

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on April 29, 2021, that starting May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program) through an approved...more

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

[Webinar] 12th Annual Update on federal Universal Service Fund (USF) developments - March 22nd, 12:00 pm ET

Kelley Drye is proud to present our 12th Annual Update on federal Universal Service Fund (USF) developments. Please join us on March 22, 2021 for Kelley Drye’s annual webinar discussing the state of the federal Universal...more

Wiley Rein LLP

Wireless Roundup (October 2020)

Wiley Rein LLP on

Upcoming Filing and Comment Deadlines - FCC Seeks Comment on Emergency Access to Wi-Fi Access Points: Comments are due October 1 on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC or Commission) Public Notice seeking comment...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Financial Daily Dose 12.03.2019 | Top Story: US Threatens Tariffs on French Goods Over New Digital Services Tax

Robins Kaplan LLP on

Because who wants a nice quiet December, right? Yesterday, the U.S. opened yet another trade war front by proposing retaliatory tariffs of up to 100% on a wide range of French imports after announcing that “it found France’s...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

DC Circuit Rejects FCC Attempt to Shrink Lifeline in Tribal Areas

On February 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit granted challenges to portions of FCC’s 2017 Lifeline reform order restricting the distribution of “enhanced” Lifeline subsidies of an additional $25 per month. ...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Lifeline’s National Verifier to Add Five More States and One Territory

On October 11, 2018, the FCC announced the soft launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier) in Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This announcement comes shortly...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Lifeline’s National Verifier Launching in Six States in November 2018

On October 2, 2018, the FCC announced that it will finally launch the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier) in an initial slate of six states on November 2, 2018....more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Federal Appellate Court Puts a Hold on FCC’s Lifeline Order

On August 10, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted a stay of the FCC’s 2017 Lifeline Order (“Order”). The court found that the petitioners provided enough evidence that the FCC did not consider the...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

FCC Chairman Pai Directs USAC Action to “Safeguard” the Lifeline Program

On July 11, 2017, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai sent a letter to USAC requesting that it implement various audit mechanisms and safeguards to protect the Lifeline program from waste, fraud, and abuse. This letter comes on the heels...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

GAO Report on Lifeline Released

On June 29th, 2017, the GAO released its long-awaited report on the Lifeline program. The report has already generated multiple statements that waste, fraud and abuse are “prevalent,” and that “everything” is wrong with the...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Increased Lifeline Minimum Service Standards and Budget Cap for 2018 Announced

In 2016, the FCC adopted its Lifeline Modernization Order, in which it introduced Lifeline subsidies for the provision of broadband services, and imposed graduated minimum service standards for Lifeline-supported broadband...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

FCC Chairman Pai Announces Plans to Require All Lifeline Providers to Seek Licenses from States—LBP Process to be Eliminated

On March 29, 2017, FCC Chairman Pai announced plans to initiate a proceeding at the FCC to eliminate the Lifeline Broadband Provider (“LBP”) designation process administered by its Wireline Competition Bureau. He also...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Who Will Grant Licenses for Lifeline Broadband? FCC Takes a Pause in Pending Appeal to Consider New Administration’s Approach

Last Friday, the FCC filed a motion with the DC Circuit to put a hold on the pending appeal of a portion of its 2016 Lifeline order finding that the FCC—and not the states—had sole jurisdiction to grant Lifeline broadband...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

FCC Cancels Recently Granted Lifeline Broadband Provider Licenses as Part of Larger Sweep of Wheeler-Era Decisions

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau recently granted nine Lifeline Broadband Provider (“LBP”) designations: four on December 1, 2016 and five more on January 18, 2017, as part of its effort launched last year by...more

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Chairman Pai Launches Rollback of Recent FCC Actions

The FCC retracted actions related to net neutrality, network security, media ownership, and other hot-topic issues in a series of orders issued late Friday. The orders represent the first major salvo in Chairman Pai’s...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

DWT Gains Approval of Three Lifeline Broadband Provider Petitions Among Five New FCC Grants

On January 18, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau issued an order granting five Lifeline Broadband Provider (LBP) petitions, enabling the grantees to receive Lifeline support for the provision of broadband Internet access...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

FCC Clarifies Lifeline Obligations for High-Cost ETCs

In a brief Order released last Friday, the Wireline Competition Bureau clarified that recipients of high-cost funding were not required to create any standalone Lifeline-specific broadband service offerings. After the...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

FCC Grants States Extra Time to Implement Lifeline Rules

On December 1, 2016, the day before new eligibility and port freeze rules imposed by the 2016 Lifeline Modernization Order on Lifeline-supported broadband services were to take effect, the FCC granted in part the petitions of...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

First Group of Lifeline Broadband Providers Designated by the FCC

On December 1, 2016, the FCC somewhat unexpectedly issued an order approving four Lifeline Broadband Provider (“LBP”) applications, which will permit the companies to receive Lifeline support for the provision of broadband...more

Perkins Coie

What to Expect From the Trump FCC

Perkins Coie on

In the days since the recent election, many tech, media and telecom industry observers remain unsure of what to expect from the Federal Communications Commission under the Trump administration. Fortunately, there are some...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

FCC Guidance on New Annual Re-Certification Rules Issued

Late last week, the FCC issued guidance on its new re-certification rules. The current rule requires Lifeline ETCs to conduct their annual re-certification efforts without regard to an individual subscriber’s Lifeline start...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

FCC Approves Lifeline Compliance Plans for the First Time in Nearly Four Years

For the first time in nearly four years, yesterday the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau announced the approval of two Lifeline compliance plans in a Public Notice. The FCC action comes after the April 27 release of its...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Tribal Enrollment Inquiry Leads to $2 Million FCC Settlement with Blue Jay Wireless

On July 15, the FCC issued an Order approving a consent decree between Blue Jay Wireless and the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, ending the Bureau’s investigation into whether Blue Jay’s Tribal Lifeline enrollments in Hawaii from...more

Best Best & Krieger LLP

FCC's Lifeline Order

The Federal Communication Commission's recent expansion of Universal Services from supporting only voice services to broadband services (also known as the “Lifeline Broadband program”) could lead to enhanced broadband...more

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