The FCC may want to reach out to state officials and...
The FCC may want to reach out to state officials and social services more as part of outreach on new Lifeline rules, said Wireline Bureau Telecom Access Policy Division Deputy Chief Kimberly Scardino at a NARUC panel Monday in Portland,…
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Ore. The FCC is focused on outreach about recent rule changes, which affect issues such as documentation requirements, she said. There’s potential to take that outreach plan and expand it later “to really promote the program,” she said. The new documentation demands of Lifeline aren’t easy for a customer who may only make about $11,000 a year, said Sprint Nextel Senior Counsel Elaine Divelbliss. Many such customers may lack access to copiers, scanners, fax machines or computers that facilitate sending along those documents, she said. There’s some “genuine confusion” about Lifeline rules for some customers, and more education is helpful, she said. Scardino agreed that reaching out to state and local officials would potentially be helpful. “We wrote and recorded the public service announcements,” Scardino said. “We're also developing posters.” The FCC never developed “firm rules” about how carriers must conduct outreach to allow carriers flexibility in putting out the message, she said.