I-wireless supported a request by TracFone that the FCC require...
I-wireless supported a request by TracFone that the FCC require eligible telecom carriers to retain a copy of the underlying documentation needed to determine program-based Lifeline eligibility. The agency should clarify that the length of document retention “should be consistent…
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with overall Lifeline-related record retention requirements,” i-wireless said in comments. I-wireless said direction from the FCC is superior to guidance from the Universal Service Administrative Co. “If i-wireless is only able to fall back upon USAC’s guidance at any given period and not upon Commission regulations, then the Company is left with a somewhat subjective or evolving idea of what is acceptable, rather than an objective reality,” it said (http://xrl.us/bnh6st). “I-wireless submits that being able to retain proof documentation both protects the Company in the event of an audit and also streamlines USAC’s evaluation of proof during an audit.” Sprint Nextel also supported the TracFone petition. “Sprint believes that the proposed document retention requirement will help to ensure that Lifeline ETCs obtain and properly review the documentation needed to determine whether an end user is in fact eligible to receive the federal Lifeline benefit,” the carrier said (http://xrl.us/bnh6s7). “Sprint has no direct knowledge of any ETC that is falsely claiming to have obtained and reviewed program documentation while signing up Lifeline customers. However, as the number of Lifeline-designated ETCs increases, so too does the probability of bad action by a rogue carrier or its agents.” The Gila River Indian Community and Gila River Telecommunications opposed the TracFone request. “The document retention requirement advocated by TracFone would do nothing to increase telephone penetration rates, especially on tribal lands. This proposal will, however, increase administrative costs at a time when ETCs already are facing dramatically higher administrative costs associated with recently adopted Lifeline rules,” they said (http://xrl.us/bnh6tm).