Need Cheap Phone & Internet Service? This Program Can Help

(TheDailyCurrents.com) – The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Lifeline Program continues to provide reprieve to Americans who cannot afford communications services. The system targets low-income earners, those enrolled in certain government assistance programs, and those living on Tribal lands.

Through Lifeline, the federal government provides telephone and broadband discounts to households so subscribers can access emergency services, jobs, and other family members.

In this guide, we explore this program and the eligibility criteria, and show you how to apply.

Creation of the FCC’s Lifeline Program

The FCC birthed the Lifeline Program to offer low-income Americans affordable communication services. The program’s ideology can be traced back to 1792, when the Postal Service Act came into play. Based on this 18th-century legislation, the federal government committed to enrolling all Americans into a universal postal service that was accessible and affordable.

Another predecessor to the Lifeline Program is the Kingsbury Commitment of 1913. In the agreement, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and AT&T agreed to look into the latter organization’s market domination regarding long-distance phone services. The objective was to ensure that AT&T eventually provided a universal service.

The Lifeline Program, too, was created to focus on affordable telephone services but later expanded to accommodate broadband services. Although it only came into being in 1985, the government had long prioritized the affordability and universality concepts since the passing of the Communications Act of 1934 and the subsequent creation of the FCC. Today, the program runs under the management of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC).

The Intended Use of the Lifeline Program

The principal purpose of the Lifeline Program is to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable telephone and broadband services. The federal government, through the FCC, provides discounted services to qualifying low-income consumers.

The qualifications are as follows:

• Income must be at par or lower than 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• An alternative qualification criterion to the income consideration is participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit, Supplemental Security, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or other Tribal Programs.

The government provides monetary support in the range of a $9.25 monthly discount for low-income subscribers. Americans living on Tribal Lands get $34.25 a month in discounts.

As a subscriber, you can only access a wireless or wireline telephone service since you cannot have both simultaneously. You can also go for a broadband voice bundle or Internet service.

Finally, only one subscriber per household can benefit from the Lifeline Program. The objective is to ensure that each low-income household has a telephone or internet service connecting them to emergency services, jobs, and other family members.

How to Apply

You can submit an application by following the following steps:

• Go to the FCC’s National Verifier page, choose your state or territory, then click “Get Started.”
• If you do not wish to apply online, you can download and fill out the Lifeline Program Application Form. You can also ask the FCC to mail the form by sending a request to LifelineSupport@usac.org or calling them at (800) 234-9473.
• For online applicants, the next step will involve keying in your personal details. You will be asked to provide your full legal name, date of birth, social security number/tribal ID number/driver’s license, or another form of identification, and your home address.
• The FCC will verify whether you qualify for the Lifeline Program based on the provided details. If you do, you will then select your preferred Lifeline service provider.

Over the years, the FCC’s Lifeline Program has augmented low-income earner access to telephone and broadband services discounts.

The system has come a long way—ever since the adoption of the Postal Service Act, the Kingsbury Commitment of 1913, and the passing of the Communications Act of 1934.

Applicants must first prove that they meet the relevant criteria, move on to the application process, then choose their preferred service provider.

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