February 20, 2018 — Sprint expresses concerns with the FCC’s recent proposals concerning a Lifeline wireless reseller ban, which would prohibit wireless resellers from serving low income households as Service Providers through the Lifeline Program. The Notice on Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), an initiative from the FCC’s November 2017 Open Meeting that included various Lifeline Program initiatives, such as banning wireless resellers from providing Lifeline service.

Sprint says Lifeline Wireless Reseller Ban Could Affect 6.1 Million

Sprint, a facilities-based provider, has echoed the concerns of various non-facilities-based providers on the recent FCC proposals found in the NPRM. They oppose the Lifeline wireless reseller ban that the FCC is pursuing, and state that the “elimination of resellers from the Lifeline program would be disruptive to current and potential Lifeline customers. The majority of Lifeline customers obtain service from resellers, which had an estimated 6.1 million customers as of December 2017.”

Consequences of FCC Lifeline Wireless Reseller Ban

The letter from Sprint highlights many concerns for Lifeline Participants that rely on the program to assist them in accessing essential communication services. They noted that the Lifeline wireless reseller ban would result in a “a sharp reduction in the number of wireless service providers offering Lifeline service; in some areas, there may remain only a single facilities-based wireless Lifeline service provider, and in other areas, there may be no facilities-based wireless Lifeline service provider at all.” Sprint adds that “users [Lifeline Participants] will not realize they need to obtain service from a facilities-based carrier, some will not know how to transfer their service, some will not provide required documentation in a timely manner. Some customers will successfully transfer to a facilities-based carrier, but some will lose service altogether.”