Total Call Mobile Objects to Lifeline Funding Freeze
Total Call Mobile asked the FCC to reverse a Wireline Bureau order freezing Lifeline payments to the company “starting in May and for future periods indefinitely.” The order "jeopardizes the Company's ability to continue to provide service to eligible subscribers…
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and thereby threatens the essential communications services of Lifeline subscribers,” Total Call said in the petition for reconsideration. “The purported temporary nature of the Bureau's action does not grant the Bureau special authority in this instance,” the carrier said. “Regardless of the terminology the Bureau used in the order, the Funding Hold Order is a suspension, pure and simple.” Only by following section 54.8 of FCC rules can the agency suspend payments “and the Bureau declined to follow that process,” Total Call said. The Wireline Bureau put payments on hold because of a notice of apparent liability for forfeiture and order resulting from an investigation against Total Call by the Enforcement Bureau (see 1606220073). The notice proposed fining Total Call Mobile $51 million for allegedly enrolling tens of thousands of duplicate and ineligible consumers into the low-income telecom support program (see 1604080032).