Handing Out Phones in Person Challenged

On May 16, 2013, the FCC issued a public notice seeking comment on a Petition for Rulemaking submitted by TracFone Wireless on May 13, 2013.  The petition asks the FCC to prohibit carriers from distributing Lifeline-support phones through in-person methods.  Doing so, TracFone claims, would reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the Lifeline program by making it harder for carriers to enroll subscribers without verifying their eligibility.  TracFone also believes that a new rule would “improve the perception of the Lifeline program” amid press reports of unscrupulous carriers handing out phones on street corners.  Comments on the petition are due June 17, 2013, with reply comments due July 2, 2013.