Texas Lifeline/Linkup Program
  
The Texas Lifeline program is designed to help qualified low-income individuals pay the monthly cost of basic telephone service.

Since March 2004, Solix, acting as Texas’ Low Income Discount Administrator (LIDA), under contract with the Public Utility Commission of Texas, has administered the enrollment certification and verification process for low-income residents eligible to receive discounts on their basic telephone service through the state’s Lifeline program that is supported through the Texas Universal Service Fund, to which all Texas telephone customers contribute.

Solix's responsibilities include developing, implementing, and administering an automated enrollment process, maintaining a database of applicants and eligible customers, operating a Lifeline call center, printing and mailing application forms, reviewing applications and all supporting documentation, and providing lists of eligible customers to telecommunications carriers.  Solix also developed and implemented the data system used for this purpose. 

Eligibility based on related benefit programs

Some residents are eligible for Lifeline by virtue of their participation in one of several public benefit programs administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the federal government. 

Each month Solix matches more than 6.5 million customer records from approximately 80 telephone companies that participate in Lifeline, with nearly 2 million HHSC records of discount-eligible Texas residents.  This automated process involves cleansing and standardizing data, identifying and removing duplicate and near-duplicate records, certifying addresses in accordance with U.S. postal requirements, and matching records using pre-defined criteria. 

After processing the data, Solix notifies each telephone company of their eligible customers by sending an electronic file containing corresponding customer information.   [Top]

Eligibility based on self-enrollment

Other residents apply for Lifeline benefits through a “self-enrollment” application process. In order to ensure the greatest accuracy and speed, Solix’s call center representatives (CSRs) use a Solix-developed secure, web-based intake system during calls to pre-populate Lifeline applications with much of the required information, including name, address, telephone number, telephone company, date of birth, and Social Security number, if provided. 

This information is incorporated into a customer service database, and transmitted to a fulfillment operation, where customized, bilingual forms are printed and mailed to applicants for completion, including supporting documentation, and signature. Applicants’ mail completed forms to Solix for review. 

Note: During 2006, more than 815,000 pieces of correspondence were mailed, including more than 728,000 applications with corresponding instructions.   [Top]

The self-enrollment process continues

Upon receipt of the completed forms and supporting documentation, our Lifeline operations staff utilizes an online system developed by Solix to review customers’ pending eligibility status to complete the self-enrollment process.

Solix receives and processes on average 3,000 self-enrollment applications each week, and has processed as many as 8,400 applications a week, just for this program, without difficulty. 

Note: During 2006, more than 157,000 applications were processed.

Solix also manages the semi-annual verification process by which all self-enrolled Texas residents who receive Lifeline discounts must verify their continued eligibility.

Solix’s CSRs are also well trained to respond to any inquiry from residents seeking Lifeline service.  This function is facilitated by highly secure processes made available to Solix’s authorized personnel allowing them to search customer information using a read-only front end connection to the registry database. 

Note: Our call center handled more than 400,000 calls in 2006.  [Top]