Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Sprint took millions of dollars meant to subsidize phone and internet service for low-income consumers, even while those consumers were not using the service, according to the Federal Communications Commission. FCC chairman Ajit Pai called it a “careless disregard” for taxpayers and commission rules and called on the agency’s enforcement arm to conduct a full investigation.
“It’s outrageous that a company would claim millions of taxpayer dollars for doing nothing,” Pai said.
The FCC’s Lifeline program offers a $9.25 per month subsidy for low-income consumers on either a phone on broadband plan. But in 2016 under former chairman Tom Wheeler, the commission added…