Commission revokes Q Link designation after staff finds more than $100 million taken from Lifeline program

The commission voted unanimously to revoke Q Link Wireless LLC’s designation as an eligible communications carrier after telecom staff reported that the company had taken more than $100 million from the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program nationally. The order before the commission initiated the revocation in case U-116940.

Commissioners credited the commission’s telecom staff for uncovering the issue and recommended robust enforcement. “This is the kind of regulator vigilance that’s required to ensure that private companies like Q Link are not defrauding vulnerable customers,” a commissioner said during the meeting, thanking staff for their work.

Staff described the Lifeline program as one that provides discounted telephone service to low‑income seniors and other qualifying customers and said the revocation follows a staff investigation and recommendation. The commission adopted the order by unanimous voice vote.

The action removes Q Link’s designation in Michigan as reflected in the approved order. The commission did not record individual roll‑call votes in the transcript; the meeting record shows the motion carried unanimously. The commission did not provide further administrative remedies or civil penalties in the discussion recorded; those details, if any, are contained in the docketed order for case U-116940.

The commission will post the order and supporting documentation in the docket.