FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF June 8,2018 THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Cory Booker United States Senate 359 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Booker: Thank you for your letter regarding the Lifeline program and the essential services it makes available to low-income veterans and their families. I am committed to bridging the digital divide, and, like you, I believe the Lifeline program can help do just that. That is why the Federal Communications Commission adopted the 2017 Lifeline Reform Order, which seeks to focus Lifeline support where it is most needed and incentivize investment in networks that enable 21 st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers, including veterans, from changing their Lifeline provider for a year and protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice. At the same time, I am committed to ensuring that the Commission fulfills its obligation to be a responsible steward of the Universal Service Fund. It is critical to strengthen the Lifeline program's efficacy and integrity by reducing the waste, fraud and abuse that has run rampant in this program for the better part of a decade. For example, the GAO discovered 1,234,929 Lifeline subscribers who apparently were not eligible to participate in the program as well as 6,378 individuals who apparently enrolled or recertified after being reported as deceased. That limited sample alone constituted more than $137 million in abuse each year. To address this, in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking accompanying the Order, the Commission sought comment on a wide variety of measures to improve the administration of the Lifeline program-from re-empowering state commissions to police Lifeline carriers to partnering with states to stand up the National Verifier, from improving program audits to adopting a self- enforcing budget. We are currently reviewing the record that has been compiled in response to the Notice to determine the best path forward, and your letter has been added to that record. Please be assured that we will take into consideration the issues and concerns presented by all stakeholders as the Commission concludes its review. I appreciate your continued interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF June 8,2018 THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Edward J. Markey United States Senate 255 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Markey: Thank you for your letter regarding the Lifeline program and the essential services it makes available to low-income veterans and their families. I am committed to bridging the digital divide, and, like you, I believe the Lifeline program can help do just that. That is why the Federal Communications Commission adopted the 2017 Lfeline Reform Order, which seeks to focus Lifeline support where it is most needed and incentivize investment in networks that enable 21 st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers, including veterans, from changing their Lifeline provider for a year and protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice. At the same time, I am committed to ensuring that the Commission fulfills its obligation to be a responsible steward of the Universal Service Fund. It is critical to strengthen the Lifeline program's efficacy and integrity by reducing the waste, fraud and abuse that has run rampant in this program for the better part of a decade. For example, the GAO discovered 1,234,929 Lifeline subscribers who apparently were not eligible to participate in the program as well as 6,378 individuals who apparently enrolled or recertified after being reported as deceased. That limited sample alone constituted more than $137 million in abuse each year. To address this, in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking accompanying the Order, the Commission sought comment on a wide variety of measures to improve the administration of the Lifeline program-from re-empowering state commissions to police Lifeline carriers to partnering with states to stand up the National Verifier, from improving program audits to adopting a self- enforcing budget. We are currently reviewing the record that has been compiled in response to the Notice to determine the best path forward, and your letter has been added to that record. Please be assured that we will take into consideration the issues and concerns presented by all stakeholders as the Commission concludes its review. I appreciate your continued interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, V. Ajit V. Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF June 8,2018 THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Tammy Duckworth United States Senate G12 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Duckworth: Thank you for your letter regarding the Lifeline program and the essential services it makes available to low-income veterans and their families. I am committed to bridging the digital divide, and, like you, I believe the Lifeline program can help do just that. That is why the Federal Communications Commission adopted the 2017 Lfeline Reform Order, which seeks to focus Lifeline support where it is most needed and incentivize investment in networks that enable 21 st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers, including veterans, from changing their Lifeline provider for a year and protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice. At the same time, I am committed to ensuring that the Commission fulfills its obligation to be a responsible steward of the Universal Service Fund. It is critical to strengthen the Lifeline program's efficacy and integrity by reducing the waste, fraud and abuse that has run rampant in this program for the better part of a decade. For example, the GAO discovered 1,234,929 Lifeline subscribers who apparently were not eligible to participate in the program as well as 6,378 individuals who apparently enrolled or recertified after being reported as deceased. That limited sample alone constituted more than $137 million in abuse each year. To address this, in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking accompanying the Order, the Commission sought comment on a wide variety of measures to improve the administration of the Lifeline program-from re-empowering state commissions to police Lifeline carriers to partnering with states to stand up the National Verifier, from improving program audits to adopting a self- enforcing budget. We are currently reviewing the record that has been compiled in response to the Notice to determine the best path forward, and your letter has been added to that record. Please be assured that we will take into consideration the issues and concerns presented by all stakeholders as the Commission concludes its review. I appreciate your continued interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Ajit V. Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF June 8,2018 THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Richard Blumenthal United States Senate 706 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Blumenthal: Thank you for your letter regarding the Lifeline program and the essential services it makes available to low-income veterans and their families. I am committed to bridging the digital divide, and, like you, I believe the Lifeline program can help do just that. That is why the Federal Communications Commission adopted the 2017 Lifeline Reform Order, which seeks to focus Lifeline support where it is most needed and incentivize investment in networks that enable 21 st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers, including veterans, from changing their Lifeline provider for a year and protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice. At the same time, I am committed to ensuring that the Commission fulfills its obligation to be a responsible steward of the Universal Service Fund. It is critical to strengthen the Lifeline program's efficacy and integrity by reducing the waste, fraud and abuse that has run rampant in this program for the better part of a decade. For example, the GAO discovered 1,234,929 Lifeline subscribers who apparently were not eligible to participate in the program as well as 6,378 individuals who apparently enrolled or recertified after being reported as deceased. That limited sample alone constituted more than $137 million in abuse each year. To address this, in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking accompanying the Order, the Commission sought comment on a wide variety of measures to improve the administration of the Lifeline program-from re-empowering state commissions to police Lifeline carriers to partnering with states to stand up the National Verifier, from improving program audits to adopting a self- enforcing budget. We are currently reviewing the record that has been compiled in response to the Notice to determine the best path forward, and your letter has been added to that record. Please be assured that we will take into consideration the issues and concerns presented by all stakeholders as the Commission concludes its review. I appreciate your continued interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Ajit V. Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF June 8,2018 THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Maggie Hassan United States Senate B85 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Hassan: Thank you for your letter regarding the Lifeline program and the essential services it makes available to low-income veterans and their families. I am committed to bridging the digital divide, and, like you, I believe the Lifeline program can help do just that. That is why the Federal Communications Commission adopted the 2017 Lfeline Reform Order, which seeks to focus Lifeline support where it is most needed and incentivize investment in networks that enable 21 st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers, including veterans, from changing their Lifeline provider for a year and protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice. At the same time, I am committed to ensuring that the Commission fulfills its obligation to be a responsible steward of the Universal Service Fund. It is critical to strengthen the Lifeline program's efficacy and integrity by reducing the waste, fraud and abuse that has run rampant in this program for the better part of a decade. For example, the GAO discovered 1,234,929 Lifeline subscribers who apparently were not eligible to participate in the program as well as 6,378 individuals who apparently enrolled or recertified after being reported as deceased. That limited sample alone constituted more than $137 million in abuse each year. To address this, in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking accompanying the Order, the Commission sought comment on a wide variety of measures to improve the administration of the Lifeline program-from re-empowering state commissions to police Lifeline carriers to partnering with states to stand up the National Verifier, from improving program audits to adopting a self- enforcing budget. We are currently reviewing the record that has been compiled in response to the Notice to determine the best path forward, and your letter has been added to that record. Please be assured that we will take into consideration the issues and concerns presented by all stakeholders as the Commission concludes its review. I appreciate your continued interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, 1 Ajit V. Pai