Federal Communications Commission	DA 26-796



DA 26-796
Released:  July 29, 2026

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU ANNOUNCES UPDATED LIFELINE MINIMUM SERVICE STANDARDS AND INDEXED BUDGET AMOUNT
WC Docket No. 11-42

By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announces the minimum service standards for Lifeline-supported services as required by the 2016 Lifeline Order. See Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization et al., WC Docket No. 11-42 et al., Third Report and Order, Further Report and Order, and Order on Reconsideration, 31 FCC Rcd 3962, 3989-97, paras. 73-98 (2016) (2016 Lifeline Order); 47 CFR § 54.408(c).
  The 2016 Lifeline Order established minimum service standards for certain Lifeline-supported services and established annual increases in those standards either in the Commission’s rules or pursuant to calculations set out in the Order and the Commission’s rules. 2016 Lifeline Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 3988-4000, paras. 69-106; 47 CFR § 54.408(b)-(c).
  Accordingly, we announce the minimum service standards for fixed and mobile broadband data usage allowance.  These standards will continue until December 1, 2027.  Additionally, we announce that the budget for federal universal service support for the Lifeline program for calendar year 2027 will be $3,053,892,630. See 2016 Lifeline Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 4110, para. 403; 47 CFR § 54.423(a)(2).
 
Fixed and mobile broadband minimum service standard for data capacity.  On July 1, 2026, the Bureau issued a waiver for one year pausing the increases in the Lifeline minimum service standards for the fixed and mobile broadband data usage allowance.  As such, the standards will continue to be 1280 GB per month for fixed broadband and 4.5 GB per month for mobile broadband. See Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization et. al., Docket No. 11-42, Order, DA 26-651, 1, 3, paras. 1, 7 (WCB 2026).

Mobile voice telephony minimum service standard.  The 2016 Lifeline Order established an automatic update to the Lifeline minimum service standard for mobile voice service through November 30, 2018. See 47 CFR § 54.408(b)(3); 2016 Lifeline Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 3998-99, paras. 100-02.
  Accordingly, pursuant to the 2016 Lifeline Order, on December 1, 2026, the Lifeline minimum service standard for mobile voice service will remain unchanged, at 1000 minutes per month. See 47 CFR § 54.408(b)(3)(iii) (“On and after December 1, 2018, the minimum standard will be 1000 minutes.”); 2016 Lifeline Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 3999, para. 102.

Annual budget.  The 2016 Lifeline Order adopted an initial budget of $2.25 billion for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2017. 47 CFR § 54.423(a)(1); 2016 Lifeline Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 4110, paras. 400-02.
  The 2016 Lifeline Order also stated that the budget amount will be indexed to inflation in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for all items from the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 47 CFR § 54.423(a)(2); 2016 Lifeline Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 4110, para. 403.
  To perform this calculation, the Bureau used the annual percent change factor for the preceding year (here, 2025) to the year in which the calculation is being performed. See United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject, (last visited June 29, 2026), https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUUR0000SA0?output_view=pct_12mths (annual average 12-month percent change for 2025 was 2.6%).
  Based on this calculation, the indexed budget for federal universal service support for the Lifeline program for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2026 was $2,976,503,538, Wireline Competition Bureau Announces Updated Lifeline Minimum Service Standards & Indexed Budget Amount, WC Docket No. 11-42, Public Notice, 40 FCC Rcd 4984, 4985 (WCB 2025). 
 and the indexed budget for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2027 will be $3,053,892,630.  
For further information, please contact Sam Lewis, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at samuel.lewis@fcc.gov.

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