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 Federal  Communications  Commission  FCC  04-  87 
 STATEMENT  OF  CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  K.  POWELL 
 Today’s  Order  will  help  improve  the  ability  of  low-  income  consumers  to  make  and  receive  basic  telephone  calls  from  their  homes.  If  estimates  prove  correct,  the  expanded 
 eligibility  criteria  we  adopt  today  should  make  telephone  service  more  affordable  for  approximately  1.17  to  1.29  million  Americans  –  roughly  234,000  of  whom  will  have  never  had 
 basic  telephone  service  before  in  their  lives. 
 Since  its  inception,  our  Lifeline/  Link-  Up  programs  have  made  basic  telephone  service  affordable  to  millions  of  low-  income  consumers.  These  support  measures  –  though  often 
 extremely  modest  on  an  individual  level  –  have  improved  people’s  lives  by  making  everything  from  jobs,  to  healthcare  to  emergency  services  available  to  program  participants.  And  while 
 overall  telephone  penetration  in  the  United  States  remains  extremely  high,  too  many  people,  particularly  on  tribal  lands  and  in  rural  areas,  forgo  this  essential  connection. 


 By  expanding  federal  default  eligibility  criteria  and  encouraging  greater  community  outreach,  today’s  Order  improves  the  administration  of  the  program.  While  this  is  an  important 
 step,  we  must  remain  vigilant  to  ensure  that  our  statutory  goals  are  met  and  that  states  utilize  appropriate  certification  and  verification  requirements.  In  the  future,  the  Commission  must 
 remain  watchful  for  abuses  of  the  self-  certification  rule  and  require  underlying  documentation  where  such  abuse  is  demonstrated. 


 This  item  could  not  have  been  possible  but  for  the  diligence  and  insight  of  the  federal  and  state  members  of  the  Joint  Board.  I  am  confident  that  we  will  soon  see  the  fruits  of  your  efforts 
 in  the  form  of  greater  access  to  basic  telephone  service  across  America. 
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