The Low-Income program provides discounts on telephone installation and monthly telephone service to qualifying consumers. The Low-Income program is one of the components of the FCC's Universal Service Fund. There are two programs available to qualified low-income consumers:

• Link-Up America helps consumers with telephone installation costs.
  
  
• Lifeline provides discounts on monthly telephone service.

Additional discounts are available to qualified subscribers living on tribal lands. You can read more about the Low-Income program eligibility criteria in the FCC's Universal Service Program for Low-Income Consumers

• Over 1500 telephone companies in the United States and its territories participate in the Federal Low-Income program.

• Many competitive and wireless telephone companies are eligible to provide Lifeline and Link-Up support.

• In order to provide Lifeline and Link-Up, carriers must be designated as Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) by their state commission or the FCC.

• After receiving ETC designation, carriers must file a Form 497 each quarter with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to receive support for the discounts they provide customers.

For more information on providing low-income support go to: www.universalservice.org/li

HEADLINES

• TracFone Wireless, Inc.: 12/23/08, WCB seeks comment on TracFone’s request to modify the requirement that it obtain certification from each PSAP where it offers Lifeline service that it has 911 and E911 capabilities. The requirement was imposed by the order granting TracFone forbearance from the ETC facility requirement. Comments are due January 6, 2009, and reply comments are due January 13, 2009.
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• Worldcall Interconnect, Inc.: 12/4/08, WCB seeks comment on an ETC designation petition filed by Worldcall Interconnect, Inc. for two counties in New York. Comments are due January 5, 2009, and reply comments are due January 21, 2009.
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• Commission Responds to D.C. Circuit Mandamus and Joint Board Recommended Decision and Seeks Further Comment on Comprehensive Reform: 11/6/08, The Commission addresses compensation rates for ISP-bound traffic, declines to adopt the Joint Board's recommendations for reforming distribution of high-cost universal service support, and seeks further comment on comprehensive universal service and intercarrier compensation reform. Comments will be due 14 days after publication in the Federal Register, and reply comments will be due 21 days after Federal Register publication.
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  Martin Statement: Word | Acrobat
  Copps, Adelstein, Tate and McDowell Joint Statement: Word | Acrobat
  
  
• AT&T (Kansas, Indiana, and Oklahoma) Petition for Review: 9/17/08, The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition for review filed on August 18, 2008 by AT&T (Kansas, Indiana and Oklahoma) of USAC's audit findings of AT&T's participation in the Lifeline program. Specifically, AT&T seeks review of USAC's findings that AT&T: (1) was required to maintain copies of Lifeline subscriber self-certifications prior to the effective date of the Commission’s applicable rule; (2) failed to comply with the Commission’s rule requiring eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) to secure Lifeline-compliance certifications from their resellers; (3) was required to advertise toll blocking and all other services supported by federal universal service support mechanisms; and (4) was required to populate Line 9 of FCC Form 497 (the Lifeline and Link-Up Worksheet) with pro-rata dollars attributable to Lifeline subscribers that entered or exited the Lifeline program mid-month. Comments are due October 17, 2008, and reply comments are due November 3, 2008.
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• Hayneville Fiber Transport, Inc. d/b/a Camellia Communications: 9/17/08, The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a request by Hayneville Fiber Transport, Inc. d/b/a Camellia Communications that it be allowed to revise its Form 525 line count reports filed with USAC. USAC adopted a policy that competitive ETCs may not make line count revisions to a Form 525 filing more than 24 months after the date of the original filing. Comments are due October 17, 2008, and reply comments are due November 3, 2008.
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• Low-Income USF Support Certification Public Notice: 8/5/08, The Wireline Competition Bureau reminds eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that, by September 2, 2008, an ETC in a state with its own state-based low-income universal service program must submit a certification, signed by an officer of the company, to USAC attesting that the ETC has complied with the state verification procedures. All ETCs in federal default states must also submit their annual Lifeline verification survey results to USAC by September 2, 2008.
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• Public Notice: 5/16/08, The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a Qwest request for review of three USAC low-income audit findings. Comments are due on June 16, 2008 and reply comments are due on July 1, 2008.
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• Order: 4/30/08, The Wireline Competition Bureau grants a petition filed by Micronesian Telecommunications Corporation and PTI Pacifica, Inc. to waive the DTV notification requirements in section 54.418 of the Commission's rules.
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• Public Notice. 4/14/08, Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on an AT&T petition, filed Jan. 7, 2008, seeking review of a USAC audit decision. ATT seeks review of USAC’s finding that an ETC must use Line 9 of FCC Form 497 if the ETC gains or loses Lifeline customers mid-month. In its petition, AT&T asks the Commission to find that USAC erred when it concluded that AT&T is required to populate Line 9 of the FCC Form 497 with partial or pro-rata dollars attributable to Lifeline subscribers who entered or left the Lifeline program during any given month, regardless of whether the company sought partial or pro-rata dollars from USAC. DA 08-855 Acrobat | Word