Congressional Hearing on Lifeline Set for April 25

The U.S. Congressional House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees the federal universal service program, sent a letter today to FCC Chairman Genachowski, notifying the agency that it will hold a hearing on the Lifeline program on April 25, 2013.  Some of the questions raised in the letter likely to be addressed at the hearing are:  whether prepaid wireless carriers should be required to deploy their own network facilities, whether program funding should be capped, and whether a consumer "co-payment" should be required.  The Committee also sent a letter to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners ("NARUC"), asking for input by the states regarding what further reforms are needed and whether the FCC's recent reforms to the Lifeline program are sufficient.