Lifeline Awareness Week (September 14 - 18, 2020).
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska joins the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), National Association of State Utility
Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), and the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) in raising awareness of and increasing participation in Lifeline.
Lifeline is the FCC’s program to help make communications services more
affordable for low-income consumers. Lifeline provides subscribers a discount on
monthly telephone service, broadband Internet service, or bundled voice-broadband packages purchased from participating wireline or wireless providers.
Lifeline During COVID-19 Pandemic
To help keep Americans connected during the coronavirus pandemic, the FCC
has temporarily waived recertification, reverification, general de-enrollment,
subscriber usage, income documentation, and documentation requirements for
subscribers residing in rural areas on Tribal lands, and has extended those
waivers until Nov. 30, 2020. The FCC has also made it easier for individuals who
have lost their employment during the coronavirus pandemic and who qualify for
Lifeline benefits to enroll in the Lifeline program. On April 29, 2020, the FCC
temporarily waived the requirement that consumers seeking to qualify for the
program based on their income must provide at least three consecutive months
of income documentation. On June 1, the FCC streamlined Lifeline service
enrollment for consumers living in rural Tribal areas. These changes will also stay
in effect through Nov. 30, 2020.
Date Issued: 9/13/2020