§ 54.403   Lifeline support amount.

   (a) The federal Lifeline support amount for all eligible
   telecommunications carriers shall equal:

   (1) Basic support amount. Federal Lifeline support in the amount of
   $9.25 per month will be made available to an eligible
   telecommunications carrier providing Lifeline service to a qualifying
   low-income consumer, except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this
   section, if that carrier certifies to the Administrator that it will
   pass through the full amount of support to the qualifying low-income
   consumer and that it has received any non-federal regulatory approvals
   necessary to implement the rate reduction.

   (2) For a Lifeline provider offering either standalone voice service,
   subject to the minimum service standards set forth in § 54.408, or voice
   service with broadband below the minimum standards set forth in
   § 54.408, the support levels will be as follows:

   (i) Until December 1, 2019, the support amount will be $9.25 per month.

   (ii) From December 1, 2019 until November 30, 2020, the support amount
   will be $7.25 per month.

   (iii) From December 1, 2020 until November 30, 2021, the support amount
   will be $5.25 per month.

   (iv) On December 1, 2021, standalone voice service, or voice service
   not bundled with broadband which meets the minimum standards set forth
   in § 54.408, will not be eligible for Lifeline support unless the
   Commission has previously determined otherwise.

   (v) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(2)(iv) of this section, on December
   1, 2021, the support amount for standalone voice service, or voice
   service not bundled with broadband which meets the minimum standards
   set forth in § 54.408, provided by a provider that is the only Lifeline
   provider in a Census block will be the support amount specified in
   paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section.

   (3) Tribal lands support amount. Additional federal Lifeline support of
   up to $25 per month will be made available to an eligible
   telecommunications carrier providing Lifeline service to an eligible
   resident of Tribal lands, as defined in § 54.400 (e), to the extent that
   the eligible telecommunications carrier certifies to the Administrator
   that it will pass through the full Tribal lands support amount to the
   qualifying eligible resident of Tribal lands and that it has received
   any non-federal regulatory approvals necessary to implement the
   required rate reduction.

   (b) Application of Lifeline discount amount. (1) Eligible
   telecommunications carriers that charge federal End User Common Line
   charges or equivalent federal charges must apply federal Lifeline
   support to waive the federal End User Common Line charges for Lifeline
   subscribers. Such carriers must apply any additional federal support
   amount to a qualifying low-income consumer's intrastate rate, if the
   carrier has received the non-federal regulatory approvals necessary to
   implement the required rate reduction. Other eligible
   telecommunications carriers must apply the federal Lifeline support
   amount, plus any additional support amount, to reduce the cost of any
   generally available residential service plan or package offered by such
   carriers that provides voice telephony service as described in § 54.101,
   and charge Lifeline subscribers the resulting amount.

   (2) [Reserved]

   [ 77 FR 12967 , Mar. 2, 2012, as amended at  81 FR 33090 , May 24, 2016]

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