Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau Investigations and Hearings Division 45 L Street, NE Washington, DC 20554 December 5, 2025 DA 25-1008 SENT VIA EMAIL AND CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Mr. Issa Asad Owner, Quadrant Holdings Group LLC (for Q Link Wireless, LLC) 499 E Sheridan St., Ste 400 Dania, FL 33004 issa@quadrantholdings.com Samuel L. Feder, Esq. Jenner & Block LLP 1099 New York Avenue, NW Suite 900 Washington, DC 20001 SFeder@jenner.com Re: Notice of Debarment, File No. EB-IHD-24-00037459 Dear Messrs. Asad and Feder: The Enforcement Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) hereby notifies you that, pursuant to Section 54.8 of the Commission’s rules, Issa Asad is prohibited from participating in activities associated with or related to the federal Lifeline program (Lifeline program) and any other program funded by federal universal service support mechanisms, commencing on either the date of Mr. Asad’s receipt of this Notice of Debarment or of its publication in the Federal Register, whichever comes first (Debarment Date).1 Furthermore, as a condition of the administrative settlement between the FCC and Mr. Asad, Q Link Wireless LLC (Q Link) and Q Link’s parent company, Quadrant Holdings Group, LLC (Quadrant), which was entered into on January 17, 2025 (Administrative Settlement),2 Mr. Asad and Q Link ceased participating in any program administered by 1 47 CFR § 54.8 (e), (g); 47 CFR § 0.111 (delegating to the Bureau authority to resolve universal service suspension and debarment proceedings). In 2007, the Commission extended the debarment rules to apply to all federal universal service support mechanisms, including the Lifeline program. See Comprehensive Review of the Universal Service Fund Management, Administration, & Oversight, Report and Order, 22 FCC Rcd 16372, 16410–12 (2007) (Program Management Order) (renumbering Section 54.521 of the universal service debarment rules as Section 54.8 and amending subsections (a)(1), (a)(5), (c), (d), (e)(2)(i), (e)(3), (e)(4), and (g)). 2 Settlement Agreement, Federal Communications Commission, Q Link Wireless LLC, Issa Asad, and Quadrant Holdings Group LLC (Jan. 17, 2025) (on file in EB-IHD-24-00037459) (Administrative Settlement). Mr. Asad December 5, 2025 Page 2 the FCC (in addition to the universal service programs) and agreed to debarment from participation in all such programs in the future.3 On November 8, 2024, the Bureau sent Mr. Asad a notice of suspension and initiation of debarment proceeding (Notice of Suspension) that was published in the Federal Register on December 12, 2024. 4 The Notice of Suspension suspended Mr. Asad from participating in or receiving any benefit associated with the Lifeline program as well as any other program funded by federal universal service support mechanisms.5 It also described the basis for initiating the debarment proceeding against Mr. Asad, the applicable debarment procedures, and the effect of debarment.6 As discussed in the Notice of Suspension, on October 15, 2024, Mr. Asad pleaded guilty to a two count information.7 Count 1 consisted of Mr. Asad pleading guilty to conspiring to commit offenses against the United States, specifically, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud) and a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641 (theft of government funds), and conspiring to defraud the United States, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.8 Count 2 consisted of Mr. Asad pleading guilty to one count of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957, all in connection with the intentional submission of fraudulent claims for reimbursement from the federal Lifeline program.9 Specifically, Mr. Asad and Q Link pleaded guilty to “purposely defraud[ing] two critical federal programs helping individuals and businesses suffering financial hardship, unlawfully taking hundreds of millions of dollars for [his] own use and profit, while obstructing the United States’ ability to help people who. . . needed it.”10 Mr. Asad served as the Chief Executive Officer of Q Link beginning in 2012.11 From 2013 to 2021, Mr. Asad personally amassed over 3 United States v. Issa Asad, Criminal Docket No. 1:24-cr–20363-RAR, Issa Asad’s Sentencing Memo, at 23 (S.D. Fla., filed Jul. 17, 2025) (referencing Asad and Q Link’s agreement in the Administrative Settlement to cease being federal telecommunication providers). 4 Letter from Christopher J. Sova, Chief, Investigations and Hearings Division, FCC Enforcement Bureau, to Issa Asad, Chief Executive Officer, Q Link Wireless LLC, Notice of Suspension and Initiation of Debarment Proceeding, 89 Fed. Reg. 100485 (Dec. 12, 2024). 5 Id. 6 Id. 7 United States v. Issa Asad, Criminal Docket No. 1:24-cr–20363-RAR, Plea Agreement (S.D. Fla., filed Oct. 15, 2024) (Plea Agreement). 8 See id.. 9 Any further reference in this letter to “conviction” refers to Q Link’s guilty plea agreement and factual proffer. See id.; see also Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization, WC Docket No. 11-42, CC Docket No. 96-45, WC Docket No. 03-109, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 27 FCC Rcd 6656 (2012). 10 Press Release, United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, Nationwide Telecommunications Provider and its CEO Plead Guilty to Massively Defrauding Federal Government Programs Meant to Aid the Needy (Oct. 15, 2024), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/nationwide-telecommunications-provider-and-its-ceo-plead- guilty-massively-defrauding. 11 We note that as of January 17, 2025 and simultaneously with entering into a settlement of administrative claims with the FCC, Mr. Asad resigned as CEO of Q Link, but retained his ownership interest in Q Link’s parent company, Quadrant Holdings Group LLC. Mr. Asad is the Manager and Sole Member of Quadrant Holdings, of which Q Link is a wholly owned subsidiary. See Administrative Settlement, Section 12(f). Mr. Asad December 5, 2025 Page 3 $15,000,000 through fraudulent Lifeline schemes.12 Pursuant to section 54.8(c) of the Commission’s rules, Mr. Asad’s conviction of criminal conduct in connection with the Lifeline program forms a key the basis for this debarment.13 Furthermore, on January 17, 2025, Mr. Asad entered into the Administrative Settlement, paragraph 15 of which provides as follows: Q Link and Mr. Asad warrant that consistent with the Suspension Notices and the Commission’s suspension rules (47 CFR § 54.8), Q Link and Mr. Asad have ceased participation in any program administered by the FCC, and the Companies agree that Q Link and Mr. Asad will not participate in any such programs administered by the Commission in the future. Consistent with this representation, Q Link and Mr. Asad agree not to contest their suspensions and proposed debarments under the Suspension Notices and agree to waive all rights under the Commission’s Rules to challenge the suspensions and proposed debarments. The Companies also warrant that upon execution of this Agreement, Quadrant, and all other related companies, affiliates or subsidiaries, and any other company in which Mr. Asad has a controlling ownership interest will have ceased participating in any program administered by the FCC (including the receipt of any benefit associated with any such programs) and will not participate in such any programs administered by the FCC in the future.14 In accordance with the Commission’s debarment rules, Mr. Asad was required to file with the Commission any opposition to the suspension or its scope, or to the proposed debarment or its scope, no later than 30 calendar days from either the date of Mr. Asad’s receipt of the Notice of Suspension or of its publication in the Federal Register, whichever date occurred first.15 The Commission received no opposition from Mr. Asad and in fact Mr. Asad agreed in the Administrative Settlement not to contest the suspension or debarment.16 For the above reasons, Mr. Asad is debarred from involvement with the Lifeline program and any other program funded by federal universal service support mechanisms, as well as any other program administered by the FCC, as of the Debarment Date.17 Mr. Asad is excluded from participating in any activities associated with or related to the Lifeline program or any other program administered by the FCC, including the receipt of funds or discounted services through the Lifeline program or any other program administered by the FCC, or consulting with, assisting, or advising applicants or service providers regarding any such programs.18 After review of the record (including the terms of the 12 United States v. Issa Asad, Criminal Docket No. 1:24-cr–20363-RAR, Factual Proffer, at 5 (S.D. Fla., filed Oct. 15, 2024). 13 47 CFR § 54.8(c). 14 Administrative Settlement at 13-14, para 15. 15 47 CFR § 54.8 (e)(3)–(4). Any opposition had to be filed no later than January 13, 2025. 16 Administrative Settlement at 13-14, para 15. 17 47 CFR § 54.8(g). Pursuant to the Administrative Settlement, as noted, Q Link voluntarily agreed to be debarred permanently from involvement in any program administered by the FCC. Administrative Settlement at 13-14, para 15. 18 47 CFR §§ 54.8(a)(1), (d), (g). Mr. Asad December 5, 2025 Page 4 Administrative Settlement) and due to the egregious nature of the fraudulent activities that led to Mr. Asad’s criminal conviction, the Commission has determined that this debarment will be permanent. Sincerely yours, Christopher J. Sova Chief Investigations and Hearings Division Enforcement Bureau cc: Fred Theobald, Universal Service Administrative Company (via e-mail) Matthew Menchel, Esq., Kobre & Kim LLP (via e-mail) Michael Sherwin, Esq., Kobre & Kim LLP (via e-mail) Evelyn Sheehan, Esq., Kobre & Kim LLP (via e-mail) Michele Ellison, Deputy General Counsel, FCC Karen Onyeije, Deputy General Counsel, FCC