Draft Lifeline Order Expands Subsidy To Broadband, Adopts $2.25B Budget, Creates National 'ETC' Process

摘要

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has circulated to his fellow Commissioners a draft order for consideration at the agency's March 31 meeting, with provisions to expand Lifeline support to standalone and bundled broadband services, create a streamlined federal process for providers not currently participating in the program to become certified, and establish a program budget of $2.25 billion, indexed to inflation. The draft order would direct agency staff to notify the Commission if Lifeline spending reached 90% of the $2.25 billion budget "and to prepare an analysis of the causes of spending growth, followed by Commission action within 6 months," according to a fact sheet released by the agency on March 8. Details as described in the fact sheet and by senior FCC officials who spoke with reporters are subject to change during review and negotiations by the Commissioners.