WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Lifeline Association (NaLA) applauds the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) action today to open a rulemaking to update the Universal Service Fund's Lifeline low-income sustainable connectivity support program. NaLA supports today's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking's (NPRM) focus on curbing waste, fraud and abuse through benefit transfer controls, enrollment representative safeguards, and usage requirements on all Lifeline plans. NaLA also backs the NPRM's proposals to ensure that Lifeline benefits are limited to low-income households that are legally entitled to them, including measures to increase screening to avoid duplicates, enable full social security number collection when necessary, require standardized informed consent for enrollments and transfers, and eliminate state opt-outs from the National Lifeline Accountability Database and the National Verifier. Common sense measures to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse will help to ensure that the Lifeline program can provide support necessary to make essential connectivity available to those low-income households that cannot afford it. 

For many years, NaLA has engaged stakeholders throughout the federal government in support of many of the program integrity reforms the FCC seek s comment on through today's action. Our industry association strives for leadership in preventing waste, fraud and abuse and our members take good stewardship of the Lifeline program seriously. As a leading participant in this rulemaking proceeding, NaLA will propose and support practical solutions that address identified challenges and areas for improvement without imposing unnecessary and overly prescriptive requirements on Lifeline-eligible households or the providers willing to serve them. We welcome this NPRM and look forward to working with the FCC and all stakeholders on the adoption of common sense reforms to the Lifeline program.

As these Lifeline reforms are considered, we believe it is paramount that Congress, the FCC and the American public understand the need to increase the amount of data this program makes affordable for eligible households. The paltry 4.5 GB of mobile broadband provided with today's Lifeline plans is not enough for subscribers to perform critical tasks such as looking for a job, keeping in touch with employers for scheduling, conducting telehealth visits, monitoring their children's school progress, civic engagement, accessing public safety and government services, and keeping connected to family and community. NaLA's Lifeline provider members know firsthand that the current subsidy amount of $9.25 per month falls far short of the amount needed to offer affordable, no co-pay Lifeline services with adequate voice, text, and data. To this end, NaLA will continue to engage and work with Congress, the bi-partisan and bi-cameral Universal Service Fund Working Group, and all stakeholders toward enactment of permanent, statutory changes needed to ensure that Lifeline meets the goal of providing sustainable, affordable connectivity to American low-income households.

About the National Lifeline Association

Founded in 2001, NaLA aims to preserve and protect the Lifeline program through education and engagement with stakeholders, by creating a community of Lifeline providers and distributors, and by providing an advocacy platform for Lifeline supporters and recipients. We are a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization dependent on voluntary contributions and support. Contributions to NaLA are immediately put to work toward the advancement and preservation of the Lifeline program.

For more information, visit https://nalalifeline.org/. 

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SOURCE National Lifeline Association