On June 24, 2019, Mike Romano, NTCA Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs spoke with Trent Harkrader, Deputy Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau to voice concerns by NTCA member companies and cooperatives regarding new obligations imposed by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) that would compel companies to provide personally identifiable information (PII) to USAC as part of the Lifeline Representative Accountability Database (RAD). Although NTCA expressed support for efforts by the FCC and USAC to address concerns about fraud or waste in the use of universal service resources, NTCA member employees should not be obligated to submit personal information for verification. NTCA recommended employees of a service provider should be required to submit business-related information to interact with the Lifeline RAD.
Bridging the Digital Divide for Low-Income Consumers, WC Docket No. 17-287; Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service - Lifeline and Link-Up Reform and Modernization, WC Docket 11-42; Telecommunications Carriers Eligible to Received Universal Service Support, WC Docket No. 09-197