It is Lifeline Awareness Week 2013, and acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn spoke about the Lifeline program at the New America Foundation on Thursday in Washington, D.C. The Lifeline program provides a discount on phone service for qualifying low-income consumers to ensure that all Americans have the opportunities and security that phone service brings, including being able to connect to jobs, family and emergency services. Lifeline discounts have also been made available to qualifying low-income consumers on pre-paid wireless service plans in addition to traditional landline service.

While many people often take technology for granted, Clyburn pointed out “It is sometimes easy to forget, that there are millions of low-income consumers who simply cannot afford phone service. But there are. And the FCC’s founding statute, and our shared belief in equal opportunity, requires that we never forget them.”

This reality is where Lifeline comes in. “Congress affirmed, with the establishment of the Federal Communications Commission some 80 years ago, that universal access to communications technology is essential’ Clyburn said.

Clyburn went on to say that, “The Universal Service Fund’s Lifeline program has been instrumental in increasing the number of low-income consumers, with telephone access.  By providing a modest monthly subsidy of less than $10 per month to needy consumers, Lifeline has significantly increased the overall penetration rate for phone service in this nation.”

Sharing information about the people who get Lifeline subsidies, Clyburn also touched on the fact that Lifeline has been under attack by critics, many of whom believe the Universal Service Fund provides free cell phones to people who don’t need the service. “This program is a significant benefit to about 14 million families, who otherwise could not afford phone service.  It connects them to 9-1-1, social services, health care providers and job opportunities,” Clyburn said.

“Once again making Lifeline a wired-only program, is one of the most illogical things I’ve heard since my appointment … While it’s true that reforms were necessary, it’s counter-productive to eliminate support for one technology, thereby abandoning the Commission’s commitment to technology neutrality and competition for and among low-income consumers,” Clyburn said.

Clyburn discussed the effort that has been made by the FCC to overhaul and reform Lifeline to root out “waste, fraud and abuse.” Continuing, Clyburn shared that, “now that we have reformed the program to ring out waste, fraud and abuse, it’s important that we look ahead and remain mindful of the trends.”