Democrats Press FCC for Lifeline Action Amid COVID-19; Others Seek Virus Portal

Four Senate Democrats and House Communications Subcommittee Vice Chair Doris Matsui, D-Calif., pressed the FCC on Lifeline access matters amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Three other Senate Commerce Committee Democrats urged the FCC Thursday to create a “consumer-friendly web portal” to help Americans find Wi-Fi hotspots, telecom companies’ contact information and federal assistance information. “The coronavirus and resulting public safety measures taken by states, municipalities, and vigilant citizens are a resounding demonstration of the importance of Lifeline and other FCC assistance programs," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and the others said Thursday in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “We strongly urge the FCC to commit that no one loses access to Lifeline at this time of crisis.” The commission should “take swift steps to provide information about Lifeline to the public and ensure carriers more aggressively advertise their Lifeline services to all eligible individuals,” the senators said. “Americans must know that help is available.” The other three senators who signed were Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; and Ed Markey, D-Mass. Matsui wrote Pai Wednesday to “take immediate steps to provide any Americans that become eligible for Lifeline due to effects of COVID-19 access to the support they need as quickly as possible.” She’s “pleased to see that recertification and reverification activity will be put on hold for the immediate future to prevent unnecessary service interruptions for current Lifeline subscribers. However, these steps will not do anything to assist Americans that become eligible for Lifeline or other qualifying assistance programs due to a loss in work or drop in income.” An FCC spokesperson pointed to Pai's success at getting ISPs to keep everyone online for the next 60 days amid the coronavirus (see 2003130066). Pai has also "exhorted those companies with low-income broadband programs like the Connect2Compete program to expand and improve them (for example, by increasing speeds to 25/3 Mbps and expanding eligibility) and those without to adopt such programs," the FCC spokesperson emailed. "He also called on broadband providers to relax their data cap policies in appropriate circumstances and on those that serve schools and libraries to work with them on remote learning opportunities. In the meantime, Commission staff have been busy at work exploring additional ways to keep students and all Americans connected during the coronavirus pandemic."