FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 10, 2018 The Honorable Tom Udall United States Senate 531 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Udall: Thank you for your letter on the Lifeline program. 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 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 21st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that baiTed Lifeline consumers from changing Lifeline providers for a year. It also protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice (such as Wi-Fi-only "mobile" broadband, which doesn't help consumers who lack home broadband or aren't otherwise near a Wi-Fi hotspot like a coffee shop). At the same time, I am deeply 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, following a request for investigation by Senators Claire McCaskill and Rob Portman, the Government Accountability Office 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. That's money that could be better spent building out broadband in low-income neighborhoods and making broadband more affordable in for low-income families and veterans living in rural America on Tribal lands. I agree with you that the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier are important tools for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. But they are not the only ones, nor will they solve all the problems with the program. It simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake. To address this, in a 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 the 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 Page 2-The Honorable Tom Udall forward, and your letter had been added to that record. The Lifeline program's goal is-or should be-to empower consumers, not companies. And that will be our lodestar as we move forward to ensure that unscrupulous companies stop abusing this important program. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 10, 2018 The Honorable Maggie Hassan United States Senate B85 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Hassan: Thank you for your letter on the Lifeline program. 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 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 21st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers from changing Lifeline providers for a year It also protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice (such as Wi-Fi-only "mobile" broadband, which doesn't help consumers who lack home broadband or aren't otherwise near a Wi-Fi hotspot like a coffee shop). At the same time, I am deeply 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, following a request for investigation by Senators Claire McCaskill and Rob Portman, the Government Accountability Office 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. That's money that could be better spent building out broadband in low-income neighborhoods and. making broadband more affordable in for low-income families and veterans living in rural America on Tribal lands. I agree with you that the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier are important tools for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. But they are not the only ones, nor will they solve all the problems with the program. It simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake. To address this, in a 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 the 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 Page 2-The Honorable Maggie Hassan forward, and your letter had been added to that record. The Lifeline program's goal is-or should be-to empower consumers, not companies. And that will be our lodestar as we move forward to ensure that unscrupulous companies stop abusing this important program. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, O Ajit V. Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 10, 2018 The Honorable Patty Murray United States Senate 154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Murray: Thank you for your letter on the Lifeline program. 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 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 21st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers from changing Lifeline providers for a year. It also protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory hut failed to do so in practice (such as Wi-Fi-only "mobile" broadband, which doesn't help consumers who lack home broadband or aren't otherwise near a Wi-Fi hotspot like a coffee shop). At the same time, I am deeply 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, following a request for investigation by Senators Claire McCaskill and Rob Portman, the Government Accountability Office 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. That's money that could be better spent building out broadband in low-income neighborhoods and making broadband more affordable in for low-income families and veterans living in rural America on Tribal lands. I agree with you that the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier are important tools for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. But they are not the only ones, nor will they solve all the problems with the program. It simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake. To address this, in a 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 the 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 Page 2-The Honorable Patty Murray forward, and your letter had been added to that record. The Lifeline program's goal is-or should be-to empower consumers, not companies. And that will be our lodestar as we move forward to ensure that unscrupulous companies stop abusing this important program. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 10, 2018 The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse United States Senate 530 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Whitehouse: Thank you for your letter on the Lifeline program. 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 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 21st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers from changing Lifeline providers for a year. It also protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice (such as Wi-Fi-only "mobile" broadband, which doesn't help consumers who lack home broadband or aren't otherwise near a Wi-Fi hotspot like a coffee shop). At the same time, I am deeply 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, following a request for investigation by Senators Claire McCaskill and Rob Portrnan, the Government Accountability Office 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. That's money that could be better spent building out broadband in low-income neighborhoods and making broadband more affordable in for low-income families and veterans living in rural America on Tribal lands. I agree with you that the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier are important tools for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. But they are not the only ones, nor will they solve all the problems with the program. It simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake. To address this, in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking accompanying the Order, the Commission sought comment on a wide variety of measures to improve the administration of the Lifeline prograrn---from re-empowering state commissions to police Lifeline carriers to partnering with the 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 Page 2-The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse forward, and your letter had been added to that record. The Lifeline program's goal is-or should be-to empower consumers, not companies. And that will be our lodestar as we move forward to ensure that unscrupulous companies stop abusing this important program. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 10, 2018 The Honorable Martin Heinrich United States Senate 303 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Heinrich: Thank you for your letter on the Lifeline program. 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 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 21st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers from changing Lifeline providers for a year. It also protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice (such as Wi-Fi-only "mobile" broadband, which doesn't help consumers who lack home broadband or aren't otherwise near a Wi-Fi hotspot like a coffee shop). At the same time, I am deeply 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, following a request for investigation by Senators Claire McCaskill and Rob Portman, the Government Accountability Office 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. That's money that could be better spent building out broadband in low-income neighborhoods arid making broadband more affordable in for low-income families and veterans living in rural America on Tribal lands. I agree with you that the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier are important tools for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. But they are not the only ones, nor will they solve all the problems with the program. It simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake. To address this, in a 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 the 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 Page 2-The Honorable Martin Heinrich forward, and your letter had been added to that record. The Lifeline program's goal is-or should be-to empower consumers, not companies. And that will be our lodestar as we move forward to ensure that unscrupulous companies stop abusing this important program. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, (jAitV.Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 10, 2018 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 on the Lifeline program. 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 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 21st century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers from changing Lifeline providers for a year. It also protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice (such as Wi-Fi-only "mobile" broadband, which doesn't help consumers who lack home broadband or aren't otherwise near a Wi-Fi hotspot like a coffee shop). At the same time, I am deeply 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, following a request for investigation by Senators Claire McCaskill and Rob Portman, the Government Accountability Office 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. That's money that could be better spent building out broadband in low-income neighborhoods and making broadband more affordable in for low-income families and veterans living in rural America on Tribal lands. I agree with you that the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier are important tools for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. But they are not the only ones, nor will they solve all the problems with the program. It simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake. To address this, in a 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 the 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 Page 2--The Honorable Edward J. Markey forward, and your letter had been added to that record. The Lifeline program's goal is-or should be-to empower consumers, not companies. And that will be our lodestar as we move forward to ensure that unscrupulous companies stop abusing this important program. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 10, 2018 The Honorable Jack Reed United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Reed: Thank you for your letter on the Lifeline program. 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 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 21st century coimectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers from changing Lifeline providers for a year. It also protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory hut failed to do so in practice (such as \Vi-Fi-oniy "mobile" broadband, which doesn't help consumers who lack home broadband or aren't otherwise near a Wi-Fl hotspot like a coffee shop). At the same time, I am deeply 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, following a request for investigation by Senators Claire McCaskill and Rob Portman, the Government Accountability Office 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. That's money that could be better spent building out broadband in low-income neighborhoods and making broadband more affordable in for low-income families and veterans living in rural America on Tribal lands. I agree with you that the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier are important tools for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. But they are not the only ones, nor will they solve all the problems with the program. It simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake. To address this, in a Notice qf 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 the 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 Page 2-The Honorable Jack Reed forward, and your letter had been added to that record. The Lifeline program's goal is-or should be-to empower consumers, not companies. And that will be our lodestar as we move forward to ensure that unscrupulous companies stop abusing this important program. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 10, 2018 The Honorable Tammy Duckworth United States Senate G12 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Duckworth: Thank you for your letter on the Lifeline program. 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 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 century connectivity for all Americans. The Order increased consumer choice by eliminating restrictions that barred Lifeline consumers from changing Lifeline providers for a year. It also protected consumers by barring low-quality services that offered mobile broadband in theory but failed to do so in practice (such as Wi-Fi-only "mobile" broadband, which doesn't help consumers who lack home broadband or aren't otherwise near a Wi-Fi hotspot like a coffee shop). At the same time, I am deeply 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 inthis program for the better part of a decade. For example, following a request for investigation by Senators Claire McCaskill and Rob Portman, the Government Accountability Office discovered 1,234,929 Lifeline subscribers who apparently were not eligible to participate in the program as well as 6,378 individuals who apparently emo1led or recertified after being reported as deceased. That limited sample alone constituted more than $137 million in abuse each year. That's money that could be better spent building out broadband in low-income neighborhoods and making broadband more affordable in for low-income families and veterans living in rural America on Tribal lands. I agree with you that the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier are important tools for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. But they are not the only ones, nor will they solve all the problems with the program. It simply isn't prudent to sit idly by when hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake. To address this, in a 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 the 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 Page 2-The Honorable Tammy Duckworth forward, and your letter had been added to that record. The Lifeline program's goal is-or should be-to empower consumers, not companies. And that will be our lodestar as we move forward to ensure that unscrupulous companies stop abusing this important program. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely,