A database has been launched by the Federal Communications Commission in efforts to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse for its Lifeline phone service. The National Lifeline Accountability Database has found $169 million in savings in noticing duplications for deletion and also preventing new duplicate records.
The Lifeline program was introduced in 1985 to provide basic phone service for low-income consumers at a subsidized rate. The program was reformed and modernized to increase fiscal responsibility and monitor the fast-growing subscriptions for mobile service. The major reform was to eliminate duplicate subscriptions by confirming that the subscriber’s household is not already receiving the Lifeline service.
