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The Lifeline Program

Access Wireless provides mobile phone service to income-eligible residents as part of the government-funded Lifeline Assistance program. Lifeline is intended to help individuals experiencing financial hardship to stay connected to family members, schools and child care providers, as well as be reachable to potential employers and have a means of communicating in case of emergency. The valuable service that Lifeline provides is designed to be a bridge for those striving for self-sufficiency.

Access Wireless provides customers with a free mobile phone and a free monthly allotment of minutes/text messages/data each month.  For more details on what is included with Access Wireless, please click here.

History of Lifeline

Since 1985, the Lifeline program has provided a discount on telephone service to qualifying low-income households, beginning with wireline services in rural areas.  In 2005, Lifeline discounts were expanded to include wireless service offerings, as demands in the consumer market shifted.  In 2016, Lifeline discounts were further expanded to include broadband internet access service offerings. Currently, the Lifeline program provides discounts on monthly telephone service for eligible low-income consumers to help ensure they have the opportunities and security that telephone service affords, including being able to connect to jobs, family and 911 emergency services.

Lifeline is supported by the Universal Service Fund (USF).  All telecommunications service providers contribute to the USF, including:  wireline telephone companies, wireless telephone companies, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers.  Many telecommunications providers pass this charge along to its customers with a line item on their phone bill marked under "Universal Service."  However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not require that this charge be passed on to consumers.

Access Wireless is a service provider for the government-funded Lifeline Assistance program. Lifeline service is provided by i-wireless LLC, d/b/a Access Wireless, an eligible telecommunications carrier. Lifeline service is non-transferable. Only one Lifeline discount, consisting of either wireline or wireless service, can be received per household. A household is defined, for the purposes of the Lifeline program, as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Violation of the one-per-household rule constitutes a violation of FCC rules and will result in the customer’s de-enrollment from the Lifeline program. Consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain a Lifeline benefit can be punished by fine or imprisonment or can be barred from the program. Customers must present proper documentation confirming their eligibility for the Lifeline program. Customer information will be validated against public records and any discrepancies could result in your approval or rejection of service.