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Millions Could Lose Cheap Phone Service Under FCC's Overhaul of Lifeline

posted by takyon on Tuesday September 04 2018, @07:25PM   Printer-friendly
from the flatline dept.

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

Millions could lose cheap phone service under FCC's overhaul of Lifeline

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, appointed to the post by President Donald Trump, wants to remove a majority of wireless providers that participate in the Lifeline program in an attempt to eliminate "waste, fraud, and abuse." If such a move were made, the "chaos would be magnificent," said David Dorwart, the chairman of the National Lifeline Association (NaLA), a trade organization that represents Lifeline businesses.

Roughly 10.7 million Americans receive text, voice, and data under the program, and 70 percent would have to look for a new service provider under the proposal, according to NaLA, if an affordable option is even available. The program cost about $1.3 billion dollars in 2017, and the funding comes from the Universal Service Fund, which is collected from phone subscribers by service providers.

[...] The proposal, introduced by the commission in November of 2017, would limit the Lifeline program to providers that own their networks. This would effectively eliminate "resellers," or providers who instead lease space on a network. Such providers service more than 70 percent of Lifeline participants. The program has been criticized in the past for fraud. It has been the subject of several reports from the Government Accountability Office, which highlighted "significant risks" for abuse.

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 1, Troll) by arslan on Tuesday September 04 2018, @10:50PM (1 child)

    by arslan (3462) on Tuesday September 04 2018, @10:50PM (#730527)

    If the govies can't run the program well the first time round what makes you think it will the second time round? Bureaucracy and rort in govie agencies doesn't just fix itself because you reset a program.

    Is it a surprise that the chairman of the organization that is getting the benefit of the program is forecasting doom upon the program's demise?

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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday September 04 2018, @11:01PM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday September 04 2018, @11:01PM (#730534) Journal

    If the govies can't run the program well the first time round what makes you think it will the second time round?

    Never overestimate your luck. But miracles can still happen. (grin)

    However: the idea of "come with something better, dismantle the old after" is not sensible to which entity is managing/running the program, is it?

    Is it a surprise that the chairman of the organization that is getting the benefit of the program is forecasting doom upon the program's demise?

    No.
    But... can you exclude the situation in which the doom will actually happen?

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford