The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau is seeking comment on Universal Marketing, LLC’s (Universal) Petition for Rulemaking (Petition), urging the Commission to initiate a rulemaking in the Lifeline program to evaluate the professional, academic, and economic standards required to hold an active National Verifier Agent ID (Agent ID). Universal proposes that the Commission should require verification that agents responsible for enrolling Lifeline program subscribers have a high school diploma or similar degree, implement a structural cap on the maximum number of active Agent IDs permitted to operate simultaneously within a specific ZIP code or municipal boundary, and require the Universal Service Administrative Company to perform localized field audits of agents. Comments or oppositions are due September 14. Reply comments are September 29.
