AT&T Wants Lifeline Revamp, Broadband Mapping Improvements
AT&T wants the federal government to “modernize and digitize” Lifeline and put the program’s funding “on a more stable footing” in 2021, blogged Executive Vice President-Federal Regulatory Relations Joan Marsh Wednesday The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other federal aid…
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programs “allow participants to seamlessly receive benefits and make payments electronically via an electronic card system,” and Lifeline “should do the same.” The “subsidy must be updated to support the full cost of broadband connectivity,” Marsh said. “In lieu” of a tax on “traditional interstate voice services, we have advocated for direct Congressional appropriations to meet the growing broadband affordability needs.” She urged the federal government fully utilize the $65 million that Congress allocated in FY 2021 for implementing the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act (see 2012210055) because more accurate connectivity maps “will allow us to precisely target subsidy dollars to close any remaining rural broadband gaps.” Marsh urged continuing "to support connectivity goals in a technology-neutral manner so long as they can meet defined performance criteria.”