STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI
Re: In the Matter of Lifeline and Link-Up Reform and Modernization, WC Docket No. 11-42; 
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket No. 96-45; Lifeline and Link-Up, 
WC Docket No. 03-109
Today the Commission makes real progress to eliminate waste in the Lifeline program by 
strengthening protections against providing more than one discounted service to eligible consumers.
I commend those companies that have stepped up to this challenge and worked with Commission 
staff and USAC to address this serious problem. I expect other Lifeline recipients to play a similarly 
cooperative role in this ongoing effort to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.
Today’s action is an important interim solution to the serious problem of duplicative Lifeline 
support. More remains to be done, including establishing a National Accountability Database to ensure 
that only eligible households are participating in the program. The Commission remains hard at work on 
this and other reforms proposed in our recent NPRM, such as modernizing Lifeline for a broadband 
world.  
I’d like to thank the Commission’s staff, particularly the staff of the Wireline Competition 
Bureau, for their outstanding work tackling this challenge.