Rural Associations Request FCC to Waive Lifeline Standalone Broadband Requirement

WTA and NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association have requested the FCC to waive a requirement adopted in the Lifeline Modernization Order that eligible telecommunications carriers receiving high-cost support offer standalone broadband service to their Lifeline customers.  Despite substantial reforms to the Rate-of-Return High-Cost program and mechanisms to provide support for standalone broadband, the budget, costs and structure of support will still make it more affordable — in many cases — to subscribe to a bundled voice and broadband service package.