TracFone Asks FCC to Make Lifeline National Verifier Changes, Notes SNAP Concerns
TracFone asked the FCC to address "serious shortcomings" in the Lifeline national verifier being rolled out by Universal Service Administrative Co. "These problems compromise the FCC’s own policies by imposing burdensome and inefficient requirements that harm the very low-income consumers…
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that the FCC seeks to support through universal access, without reducing potential waste, fraud, and abuse," said the Lifeline provider's emergency petition and petition for rulemaking, posted Monday in docket 17-287. TracFone urged the commission to direct USAC to implement 15 "modifications of the National Verifier and its associated processes," ranging "from the relatively straightforward: simplify the paper application; to the more complex: allowing service providers to check applicant verification via Application Program Interfaces." Separately, TracFone voiced concern about an impending USAC policy change "that will materially impact" Lifeline participation. "As part of a recent webinar presentation, USAC announced that, commencing [Tuesday], Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program ('SNAP') benefit cards and most Medicaid cards no longer would be acceptable documentation of enrollment in Lifeline-qualifying programs," filed the company Friday about a discussion with an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai, noting it wrote USAC Nov. 20 and got no response." The FCC and USAC didn't comment.