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Now that the Lifeline free government cell phone program is well underway in the U.S., several states have more than one mobile carrier available to those participating in the Lifeline Program. This can be a lot of headache for those wanting to find the best deal for them and their families.

Here are a few things to consider:

Phone

Now, this might sound fairly obvious but hear us out. What phone will the mobile provider give you with the Lifeline Program? Do you just need something simple as you are not going to be doing much more than sending or receiving texts and making a few phone calls every once in a while? Compare the phones provided between companies because one might suit you and your needs more than another. If none of the phones please you, ask the carriers if you can upgrade for a one-time affordable price. It never hurts to ask and you never know what deals they might have with Lifeline.

Features

Do they offer voicemail, caller ID or call waiting? Most of the carriers should provide those basic features, but you should ask to make sure. Better to know ahead of time than to receive an unpleasant surprise once you sign up.

Talk Minutes

The average carrier provides about 250 free minutes a month for the most basic monthly plan, but they do vary slightly from carrier to carrier and from state to state. For example, Alaska offers unlimited talk minutes and text messages per month for a monthly fee of $1. Many of the larger carriers have more than one type of monthly bundle, offering more minutes and more text messages if you are able to pay a nominal fee for the upgrade every month. Take a good honest look at your finances and at what your family’s needs are and do your research. There will be a monthly bundle that works for you.

Rollover Minutes

Many companies will allow unused minutes from one month to rollover to the next month, yet some do not. Ask to make sure, as this is a great feature to have.

Text Messages

Some carriers provide a set amount of free text messages a month, depending on the bundle that you are on, others will provide free messages plus a fee for any texts above and beyond the free ones. The fees vary from bundle to bundle and from carrier to carrier, so ask to make sure. You don’t want to be caught with extra fees for sending a couple of text messages over the allotted quota.

Long Distance Minutes

Every carrier will have different fees and different schedules with long distance charges from a free mobile phone. Ask to make sure and compare.

Re-Charging Your Airtime

There are a few carriers that are using Top-Up cards that can be re-filled at participating outlets. Other smaller carriers do not and this depends on the state that you are living within. Please ask the customer representative to make sure this feature is available, as it can make your life a whole lot easier.

De-activation

If the Lifeline free mobile phone has not been in use for over 60 days, the mobile carrier will automatically deactivate that phone. Please contact the mobile carrier for more information on this policy and why this may happen after 60 days of not using the phone.

Lost/Stolen/Damaged Phone

Every carrier will have different policies regarding what will happen if your phone is lost, stolen or damaged. Please check with each carrier to see what the fine print is before deciding on what the best policy is for you.

Make sure to read the Terms of Service that every company will have, either on their website or their written materials. If you do not have Internet access, you can contact the carrier and have it mailed to you in hard copy format. The better informed you are, the better decisions you will be able to make.

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When the Lifeline Program came into existence, there was a collective sigh of relief amongst those who were eligible for this free cell phone program. The same sigh of relief came to those who were empathetic towards the plight of the financially insecure population of the United States. Since the Credit Crunch of 2008, save for the fortunate 1%, everybody has been affected. Everyone is feeling the crunch.

The Lifeline Program is a free government cell phone program that provides eligible citizens of the United States access to a free mobile phone. The Lifeline Program is also expanding these charitable efforts into the broadband realm, providing affordable monthly fees for Internet service to those in need. It was created by the Federal Communications Commission in the 80s in order to address the lack of affordable telecommunications for those living at or below the poverty level, the disabled, the elderly, and those populations in rural communities. There are criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to be eligible, but generally, as long as one is living at 135% of the poverty line or is a participant in some state or federal assistance program such as food stamps or free lunches, one can apply for the Lifeline Program.

There have been many cases of fraud with the Lifeline Program. The most popular that the FCC is working very hard to crack down upon are individuals that have multiple free mobile phones. There is a very specific and strict rule with the Lifeline Program, which is that there is only to be one free government phone or landline per household.

Customers have been taking advantage of the ever-expanding program by applying to different participating mobile carriers within their state and applying for several different mobile phones. Until recently, the FCC had not been keeping a central database in order to keep track of duplicate accounts. In some cases, clients are using fake Social Security Numbers or fake addresses in order to falsify identification and therefore receive another free mobile phone.

The FCC is working hard to reduce the number of duplicate accounts and multiple mobile phones per client or household. Once a client or household is caught having more than one phone they will be notified by the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC). After that, the client will have 30 days to choose which mobile carrier they will go with.

Once the customer has made their choice, the USAC will then contact the mobile carrier that has been eliminated. The mobile carrier will then have 5 days in order to cancel or discontinue the client’s account.

Let us hope that the FCC continues to make headway in discovering cases of fraud with the Lifeline Program. This is the only way to make sure that the resources go to the people who need them.

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There have been amendments made to the Nation’s healthcare laws and as a result, the number of people who qualify for Medicaid will increase to include those who make up to $64,000 US Dollars a year.

Lifeline Program, the government free cell phone program that was created during the Reagan administration, is a social service that provides free mobile phones and lower cost broadband to those who are eligible. Criteria for eligibility does vary slightly from state to state, yet generally if the potential participant is living near the poverty line or is a participant in various state or federal assistance programs, they can apply for the Lifeline Program.

Previously, the Lifeline Program was limited to those who were considered poor, needy or living at the poverty line. With the new healthcare laws that have widened the eligibility net towards the middle-class Americans, those who are eligible for Medicare are also eligible for Lifeline. As such, over 3,000,000 middle class Americans are now eligible for a free mobile phone.

New healthcare laws were intended solely for Medicaid, but with the clause in Lifeline stating that those who qualify for Medicaid also qualify for a free mobile phone, this places a completely different set of issues onto a program initially meant for those who truly could not afford proper telecommunications.

Will the middle class American take advantage of this new loophole in the free government cell phone program? An average salary of $64,000 a year is over four times the poverty line salary of about $15,000 a year of a two-person household. That is a very large gap in finances as well as a differing in ability to pay for affordable telecommunications. For those in the middle class bracket, to take part in the Lifeline Program is to take resources away from those who truly need and would benefit from having a free cell phone.

We hope that this new healthcare law does not turn honest middle class Americans into freeloaders. We hope that the Federal Communications Commission will find a way to double check and ensure that the resources for the Lifeline Program are available only to those who truly need it.

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Assurance Wireless offers an LG 200 Camera Phone as part of their free government mobile phone program, Lifeline.

In case you have not heard, Lifeline is a program that was created by the Federal Communications Commission, which gives free mobile phones and free minutes and texts per month to those who are eligible. Eligibility varies from state to state, however, essentially potential clients are required to prove that they are either living at near the poverty line or are participants of various state or federal assistance programs.

This LG model has a QWERTY keyboard, an internal camera, Bluetooth and the functionality to send pictures with their text messages very easily.

However, can you believe that there have been complaints? The camera is a 0.3 megapixel and therefore the image quality is, quite possibly, not the greatest. It can be a bit grainy and for camera aficionados out there, this is not your average point and shoot. But to complain when this is a free mobile phone is probably a bit too much. This shows that there are some people out there who will never appreciate what they have.

Assurance Wireless is a subsidiary of Virgin Mobile and is one of the fastest growing Lifeline mobile carriers in the United States. They are rapidly expanding and hoping to provide their services to the whole country in the near future. This LG 200 Camera Phone is offered by Virgin Wireless as an option with their Lifeline program. As it is slightly more technologically advanced than the basic model normally given out, extra fees may apply to this particular model.

The Lifeline Program aims to provide accessible and affordable telecommunications to those in need. Assurance Wireless works hard to help that happen.

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An agent of Assurance Wireless, a mobile carrier who is currently one of the largest participants of the Lifeline Program, has been faking free phone applications in order to increase his numbers of approved cell phone applications.

The Lifeline Program was set in place by the Federal Communications Commission in order to provide affordable access to telecommunications for Americans who could otherwise not afford it. By providing free mobile phones or landlines with free minutes and texts per month, the goal was to improve the quality of life for those living at or below the poverty line. It was to encourage searching for jobs for the unemployed and to increase safety amongst the elderly. There are a myriad of benefits to this program.

The agent was working for an outreach group in Tennessee. Assurance Wireless often partners with various outreach groups in different states in order to help with the distribution and marketing of the Lifeline Program.

The former employee, who is unnamed, was falsely filling out applications for residents of Tennessee and Mississippi for his own profit. The agent has since been terminated from his position.

Some of the phones were intercepted before they were shipped out, but some of them did, in fact, reach the unsuspecting recipients. Although the perpetrator was caught and punished for his crime, this does show a serious flaw in the application process.

Fraud is a huge issue with many federal and state level assistance programs. People don’t necessarily have to claim all of their income sources and fraud within the very organizations that are running the show is happening as well, as in the case of this rogue agent.

Maybe the FCC needs to re-examine the subsidy incentives with the mobile carriers they are working with. Perhaps the mobile carriers need to be responsible for any fraud that happens through their application process, thereby forcing the mobile carriers themselves to tighten up the reins on their application approval process. The harder the FCC can make it for anyone to potentially profit from this program, the more likely these free mobile phones will get to those who need them most.

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There are over 100,000 residents in the State of Utah that are currently unemployed. Almost 12% of Utah’s residents are living at or below the poverty line in the United States of America. Before Assurance Wireless came into the picture, the citizens of Utah had only one choice – SafeLink Wireless.  While SafeLink is an old and trusted mobile carrier and a participant in the government Lifeline Program, having additional options will only come as a benefit to Utah residents.

Assurance Wireless, a subsidiary of Virgin Mobile, has entered the market in the mountainous state of Utah and has helped a severely under-serviced region with the Lifeline Program.

Eligibility for Assurance Wireless requires participation (or eligibility) in the following:

• Medicaid
• Supplemental Security Income
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance/Section 8
• General Assistance (Caveat – Income based qualification ONLY)
• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAT)
• Home Electric Lifeline Program (HELP)
• Head Start
• National School Lunch Program
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
• Refugee Assistance
• Work Towards Employment program

Assurance Wireless provides qualified residents with a modern mobile phone (it is not an iPhone, Android or anything that is within that same echelon of technology) that includes voicemail, caller ID and call waiting. The bundle includes 250 free talk minutes and 250 free texts a month.

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The advent of the Internet opened up a million and one doors and opportunities for growth in the sectors of health, technology and especially education. Schools all over the nation and the globe are quickly making use of media and the Internet in order to enhance the education experience for children. The exchange of information and the access to so much knowledge at the click of a button has changed this traditional institution profoundly and permanently.

There is a growing divide as a result of this technological advance in the classrooms. The nation is seeing an increasing number of schools that are in privileged areas with all the latest technological equipment from computers to online conferencing systems and beyond. Those schools that are in areas of mainly lower-income housing and populations that are more eligible for social services are lagging far behind in this regard. These schools cannot afford equipment such as high-tech computers or the latest online teaching programs. As such, the students of these schools are also at an educational disadvantage simply because the schools that they attend do not have the same equipment as their ‘richer’ counterparts.

The divide becomes all the more apparent when the students leave their schools to move onto higher education or job training. Those with exposure to computer skills and Internet knowledge are more qualified for the universities or the jobs that are available. This places the students from lower-income areas at a severe disadvantage – and it just keeps snowballing from there.

The Lifeline Program, which is currently providing free mobile phones and free texts and talk minutes every month to eligible customers across the nation is now rolling out an affordable broadband package as well. One company, Comcast, is now taking advantage of this and introducing a new broadband package that will allow families that cannot afford their $40 a month plan to now have financially accessible broadband in their home.

The ‘’Internet Essentials’’ Package by Comcast does not provide free broadband, but rather an Internet bundle at an extremely affordable rate. For $9.95 a month, families that are currently eligible for Lifeline can now receive Internet in their homes. What’s even better, is that there are no activation fees or any other hidden fees involved. Plus, the families can purchase a computer for $150 when eligible for this bundle. This computer has WiFi connectivity and can run the Windows 7 Starter Operating System.

The one caveat is that the family must have one child that is currently a participant in the free school lunches (National School Lunch Program).

Are there any other hidden catches? No. To make this already generous package deal even more so in the spirit of giving, Comcast is not using any government funding to make this possible. Comcast is truly making a concerted and generous effort towards allowing all students from every background to have the same educational opportunities. This not only narrows the digital divide, but it allows for a brighter future for the Nation’s future generations.

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There are over 50,000 residents in Maine who are now unemployed. The Credit Crunch of 2008 hit everyone in the United States very severely and trying to get back on their feet has been extremely difficult for those searching for jobs, Many are finding that they have less and less money to support themselves and their families. Times are tough, but the Lifeline Program is here to help.

The Lifeline Program provides free government cell phones to those who are eligible. This reduces the financial burden every month by allowing each household to have one mobile phone with free minutes. This allows them to stay in touch with emergency services, families, hospitals, and healthcare providers as well as apply for jobs. Communication is essential in this modern world, and to not be able to afford access to telecommunications is to fall further and further behind, both socially and financially.

With over 12% of Maine’s population now eligible for social assistance, such as Medicaid and Food Stamps, the Pine Tree State is now more than relieved that it has now been approved for the long-awaited, highly anticipated Lifeline Program. Now qualified residents can hope for a better future by not having to worry about the burden of carrying yet another monthly bill.

Originally, telecommunications had been viewed as a luxury, only available to those who could afford it. Now, it is seen as a human right. Without access to telecommunications, one cannot feel safe, one cannot feel connected and therefore one’s quality of life decreases considerably.

If quality of life is improved with the access to communication, then it should be seen as a basic human right. The way that the world is evolving, many cannot even apply for a job without access to a phone or the Internet. If we cannot help our citizens find a job, then we are not helping to reduce the unemployment rate.

Thank you Lifeline for finally coming to Maine. The residents applaud you and your efforts to level the playing field.

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The state of Oklahoma is now offering Lifeline Program participants 1000 free minutes and 1000 free texts per month for only $1.

Did you hear that right? Yes, you did – $1 a month for Lifeline subscribers and you get 1000 free texts and talk minutes per month.

What Is the Lifeline Program?

Lifeline was created by the Federal Communications Commission in the 1980s in order to address the discrepancy between those who had access to telecommunications and those who did not. The ones who were left behind were either too poor to afford telecommunications or lived in rural communities where networks were scarce or quite a bit more expensive.

The Communications Act states that all American citizens have the right to telecommunications as this is the one way that people can have access to safety services, healthcare and stay in touch with family and friends. Essentially this makes telecommunications a human right, not a privilege.

The Lifeline Program provides eligible participants a free mobile phone and free text and talk minutes per month. Packages are soon going to be rolling out with broadband services as well.

How does one become eligible for the Lifeline Program in Oklahoma?

If you are a participant of or are eligible for:

• Family Aid
• Federal Public Housing
• Section 8
• Home Energy
• Medicaid
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – Food Stamps)

If you can provide proof that you are eligible or a participant in one of the above programs, you can apply for a Lifeline Program free mobile phone. The state of Oklahoma now currently has one third of its residents qualifying for one of those programs in these tough economic times. If you feel that you could qualify, it may be worth looking into. This program will allow you to have access to free numbers for safety services such as the police and fire department. This free mobile phone will also allow you to stay in touch with friends and family, plus ease the process of job-hunting as well. For those who are unemployed due to disability, the mobile phone is one less cost you have to worry about on top of monthly medical bills.

The Lifeline Program is here to help. For only $1 a month in Oklahoma, this will be accessible to all, regardless of their financial situation.

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Pre-Paid cell phone companies are starting to hand in financial reports that are not as impressive as they would have been in previous years. Many of them are blaming the Lifeline Program for their financial losses in the past couple of years.

The Lifeline Program was created by the Federal Communications Commission in order to provide affordable telecommunications services to those in fringe populations and in rural areas of the United States. It is becoming increasingly necessary for everyone to have access to telecommunications, even in the form of broadband, as the world is now functioning mainly online. Without access to affordable Internet and phone packages, those in difficult financial situations are finding it harder and harder to pull themselves out. The Lifeline Program wants to address the vast divide between the Haves and Have-Nots by giving those living around the poverty level an equal opportunity.

Previously, the Pre-Paid cell phone packages were perfect for those in lower-income brackets as there were no penalties for cancellations, and no fixed amount of money charged every month. Yet, with the Lifeline Program providing free mobile phones to those who are eligible in addition to free minutes a month and free texts (250 of each, respectively), the market for pre-paid cell phones is dwindling.

Companies such as TracFone, Leap Wireless and Metro PCS had all put forth very disappointing financial reports for 2011, citing Lifeline Program as the main cause.

Up until 2008, the Lifeline Program was offering free landlines to those who were eligible. Eligibility was dependent on household income or participation in other state or federal assistance programs, such as the free school lunches or Food Stamps. After 2008, when the Lifeline Program expanded to include mobile phones, the pre-paid phone industry started taking the hit.

Currently, the Lifeline Program provides millions of American families living at or below the poverty level a free mobile phone and low-cost Internet services. This will allow them to find jobs and have contact with emergency services. In a day and age where the dollar is the bottom line, let us hope that the minor financial losses of a few giant corporations does not overshadow the good that this philanthropic program is doing for the people of the United States of America.

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