If the criterion had been that applicants receive some sort of income assistance, the subscribership among those eligible would have been 78 percent. By contrast, heads of household between sixteen and twenty-four have the lowest subscription rate, and are most likely to discontinue service. Others express concern regarding the correlation between the receipt of Link Up assistance and uncollectible revenues. The correlation is especially marked in states with a deposit waiver program. Companies in those states had approximately ten times as many written-off accounts as companies in states that require a deposit.
Low participation is another concern.
The disparity might reflect differences in the targeted populations, including how widely it is known that assistance is available, or may reflect general variances in state social service systems. National Ass'n of Regulatory Util. Corp., and Sprint, to the Notice of Inquiry in CC Dkt. Carol Weinhaus et al., Telecommunications Indus. Admin., U.S. Dep't of Commerce, Inquiry on Universal Service and Open Access Issues, Notice of Inquiry in Dkt.