FCC Extends Lifeline Waiver as Pandemic Continues

The FCC extended to March 31 the deadline for Lifeline reverification, recertification, de-enrollment and income documentation requirements for subscribers in rural areas on tribal lands. It was to expire Friday. “The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt by many Americans, and recently a new variant of the coronavirus has emerged that has contributed to uncertainty about the ongoing pandemic,” said a Thursday Wireline Bureau order in docket 11-42: “The importance of access to affordable communications services for low-income consumers has been underscored by the pandemic and its long lasting impact.”