Yet another lure

[Gypsy]

Can't afford a cell phone or the service? Don't worry, the gubbmint will give you a phone and 70 minutes per month...FREE. Someone called it the "Obamaphone". Can we get a throw up smilie here?

Yet another program bought by the rest of us. I must have missed the part in the Constitution where it lists free cell phones for us all.


I didn't want to hotlink to the site...

www dot safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/home.aspx

[Saturation]

The program has been around for several years....

[LongWire]

Wanna guess what our tax dollars are paying for now???

https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enr...blic/home.aspx


Incredible............

[alelks]

WOW!

How to Qualify

The process to qualify for Lifeline Service depends on the State you live in. In general, you may qualify if...

1. You already participate in other State or Federal assistance program such as Federal Public Housing Assistance, Food Stamps and Medicaid.
OR
2. Your total household income is at or below 135% of the poverty guidelines set by your State and/or the Federal Government.
AND
3. No one in your household currently receives Lifeline Service through another phone carrier.
4. You have a valid United States Postal Address. In order for us to ship you your free phone you must live at a residence that can receive mail from the US Post Office. Sorry, but P.O. Boxes cannot be accepted.

In addition to meeting the guidelines above you will also be required to provide proof of your participation in an assistance program, or proof of your income level.

[Kyobanim]

To be fair, (not that I want to be), this program has been in place for a while. I've been seeing commercials for it for the last 2 years.

[ZonieDiver]

Maybe this is how this guy got his phone!

[Sigaba]

In support of the launch of the Safelink service in Tennessee, Telephony World published an article (available here) that lays out the number of residents who may qualify for the program and what documentation residents need to establish their eligibility.

Today, TracFone Wireless, Inc., America’s leading prepaid cell phone provider announced its launch of SafeLink Wireless® in Tennessee. SafeLink Wireless will serve as the company’s distribution of Lifeline - a U.S. government supported program for income eligible households that ensures telephone service is available and affordable for eligible low income households.

The SafeLink Wireless service will provide eligible low-income households a free cell phone, mobile access to emergency services and free 68 minutes of air time, monthly, for one year. The cell phone offers in-demand features: voicemail, text, call waiting, international calling to over 60 destinations and caller ID.

“Over 812,000 households in Tennessee qualify for the Lifeline services – offering these participants the opportunity to have the same access and privileges many individuals take for granted when it comes to using cell phones,” said Javier Rosado, Senior Vice President of Lifeline Services for TracFone. “The SafeLink Wireless service is truly unique because we are providing a service that no other company has made available before – a free cell phone and free monthly minutes to qualifying low income families,” added Rosado. SafeLink Wireless offers low income families accessibility, freedom and the security in knowing that should an emergency occur – wherever they are, they will stay safe and stay connected.

Economic opportunities for low-income households

A recent study (“Cell Phones Provide Significant Economic Gains for Low-Income American Households,” April 2008) analyzed the impact of mobile phones on low-income households. “In this day and age, the cell phone should be deemed an imperative necessity for the millions of low-income families who are far less likely to own them,” said Nicholas P. Sullivan, the study’s author and visiting scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Our study showed cell phones can significantly boost the earning potential of these communities, and this connectivity vastly encourages their opportunities and remains central to their everyday survival,” Sullivan stressed.

The study also revealed the cell phone is a critical component for personal safety, access to emergency services, and can potentially increase a low-income family’s economic productivity and earning power. Other relevant survey findings included:

* Cell phones provide a “security blanket” and are “extremely important” for “emergency use.”
* A cell phone is preferred to a landline phone for mobility and security purposes, and is preferred to a landline phone for emergency use by 3-1 ratio.
* 48% have used their phone to call or text during an emergency situation.
* 20% have received an emergency call or text on their cell phone.
* 32% have purchased a cell phone for a relative to use in emergency situations.
* 40% in blue-collar jobs say their cell phone has provided the opportunity to gain employment or make money.

Daily, millions of Americans depend on mobile telecommunications for a wide range of basic activities including: calling emergency services, searching for employment, staying connected with loved ones, and much more. Yet, for people who cannot afford cell phones, being part of today’s connected world and performing these crucial day-to-day needs is near impossible.

Typically, families living below the poverty line struggle to pay their monthly bills, experience credit issues, and cannot afford traditional home phone and wireless services. Using public pay phones regularly pose problems and cell phone contracts often are difficult to maintain due to costly usage charges over long-term agreements. As a result, regular communications is a major dilemma for these families.

SAFELINK WIRELESS® SERVICE ELIGIBILITY OVERVIEW BY CITY

The following are opportunities per city specific to each state’s low-income population:
CITY LOW-INCOME POPULATION
Chattanooga 56,486
Clarksville 22,049
Hendersonville 21684
Jackson 13,212
Johnson City 22,988
Kingsport 36,728
Knoxville 78,097
Memphis 133,173
Nashville-Davidson—Murfreesboro—Franklin 128,548
TOTAL 512,965

Program Eligibility [The information here augments the information provided by QP alelks]

Lifeline program eligibility varies by state but generally families may qualify for SafeLink Wireless service if their household income is not above 135 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines, or if they receive any of the following government assistance programs:

* Medicaid
* Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
* Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
* National School Lunch Program
* Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
* Food Stamps
* Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

Families wanting to participate in the SafeLink Wireless service will need to provide proof of low-income qualification such as:

* 2007 state or federal tax return
* Three consecutive months of payroll statements, or paycheck stubs for 2008
* A Social Security statement of benefits
* A Veterans Administration statement of benefits
* A retirement/pension statement of benefits
* An Unemployment/Workmen’s Compensation state of benefits
* A federal notice letter of participation in General Assistance
* A divorce decree, child support, or other official document that proves your income

The SafeLink Wireless service will be provided to low-income families for up to one year. Participants may renew service and will be required to re-submit eligibility documentation upon their year completion. If the participant no longer qualifies for this free service, they will be notified and will be able to keep the cell phone to continue enjoying the benefits as a regular TracFone customer. Unused minutes will never expire and will automatically rollover. When recipients surpass their allocated 68 airtime minutes, they will be able to purchase prepaid SafeLink Wireless airtime cards or TracFone airtime cards, including double minute cards. Existing TracFone customers qualifying for the SafeLink Wireless service may keep their current cell phone, and receive bonus minutes (one-time bonus only) for choosing to keep their current cell phone.
<<SNIP>>

The study by Nicholas P. Sullivan (bio available here) was published for The New Millennium Research Council (NMRC info is here).

The paper, "Cell Phones Provide Significant Economic Gains for Low-Income American Households A Review of Literature and Data from Two New Surveys," (available here) suggests that if more low income households (defined as making $35,000 or less) have access to cell phones those households may generate more than $10 billion in additional income.

IMO, there's a bit of a gap between Professor Sullivan's article and the eligibility requirements for the SafeLink program in terms of economic status given the latest U.S. poverty guidelines (available here). Nevertheless, I think the point about cell phone ownership generating a higher sense of security among its owners is important.

FWIW, 2008 election results for the state of Tennessee are available here and there.

[Red Flag 1]

If you get for free what others must pay for, it is worthless to you, and will be treated accordingly; IMHO.

RF 1

[Gypsy]

Didn't realize the FCC started levying these fees on us all several years ago. Now I finally know what those extra charges on my cellphone bill are for...