Alan Buzacott
Executive Director
Federal Regulatory Affairs
December 14, 2010
1300 I Street, NW, Suite 400 West
Washington, DC 20005
Phone 202 515-2595
Fax 202 336-7922
alan.buzacott@verizon.com
Ex Parte
Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Re: Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket No. 96-45;
Lifeline and Link Up, WC Docket No. 03-109
Dear Ms. Dortch:
On December 13, 2010, Chris Miller and the undersigned of Verizon met with Trent Harkrader,
Kim Scardino, and Cindy Spiers of the Wireline Competition Bureau to discuss the Federal-State
Joint Board on Universal Service?s recent Recommended Decision in the above-captioned dockets.
We explained that the Commission should, consistent with the Recommended Decision, seek
further comment on a centralized administrator and database to manage functions associated with
the enrollment, certification, and verification of Lifeline customers. We pointed out that two of the
largest states ? California and Texas ? already have state-contracted Lifeline administrators, and
thus have demonstrated the feasibility of using a centralized administrator to manage Lifeline
enrollment.
We also discussed the Joint Board?s recommendation that the Commission adopt mandatory
outreach requirements for ETCs. The telephone penetration rate has now reached an all-time high
of 96 percent, and there is no evidence that imposing a mandatory outreach requirement on ETCs
would further increase subscribership. State social service agencies and community-based
organizations ? not ETCs ? are best positioned to reach any low-income individuals who may want
telephone service but do not have it today. Rather than impose mandatory outreach requirements on
ETCs, the Commission should assign state social service agencies a more active role in consumer
outreach and in qualifying eligible end-users, as recommended by the National Broadband Plan.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
cc: Trent Harkrader
Kim Scardino
Cindy Spiers
Alan Buzacott
Executive Director
Federal Regulatory Affairs
December 14, 2010
1300 I Street, NW, Suite 400 West
Washington, DC 20005
Phone 202 515-2595
Fax 202 336-7922
alan.buzacott@verizon.com
Ex Parte
Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Re: Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket No. 96-45;
Lifeline and Link Up, WC Docket No. 03-109
Dear Ms. Dortch:
On December 13, 2010, Chris Miller and the undersigned of Verizon met with Trent Harkrader,
Kim Scardino, and Cindy Spiers of the Wireline Competition Bureau to discuss the Federal-State
Joint Board on Universal Service?s recent Recommended Decision in the above-captioned dockets.
We explained that the Commission should, consistent with the Recommended Decision, seek
further comment on a centralized administrator and database to manage functions associated with
the enrollment, certification, and verification of Lifeline customers. We pointed out that two of the
largest states ? California and Texas ? already have state-contracted Lifeline administrators, and
thus have demonstrated the feasibility of using a centralized administrator to manage Lifeline
enrollment.
We also discussed the Joint Board?s recommendation that the Commission adopt mandatory
outreach requirements for ETCs. The telephone penetration rate has now reached an all-time high
of 96 percent, and there is no evidence that imposing a mandatory outreach requirement on ETCs
would further increase subscribership. State social service agencies and community-based
organizations ? not ETCs ? are best positioned to reach any low-income individuals who may want
telephone service but do not have it today. Rather than impose mandatory outreach requirements on
ETCs, the Commission should assign state social service agencies a more active role in consumer
outreach and in qualifying eligible end-users, as recommended by the National Broadband Plan.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
cc: Trent Harkrader
Kim Scardino
Cindy Spiers