Alpine Communications Blog

It may be hard to believe, but many people in the United States do not have phone service in their homes. Often this is because they do not have the money to pay for the initial installation or to keep up with monthly bills.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, as of July 2006, approximately 6.3 million households across the country - or 5.4 percent of the entire U.S. population - did not have telephones.

So while most Americans are using their phone lines to connect to the Internet and order items such as books, CDs, and even pizzas, some residents do not even have the ability to call their family, their next-door neighbor, or 911.

But federal and state governments are working together with telephone companies to promote programs aimed at helping eligible customers get and keep phone service in their homes with Lifeline and Link-Up discounts.

The FCC and its state regulatory counterparts, represented by a national trade association, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, have been working with the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates on a national educational campaign, the "Lifeline Across America" outreach effort, to promote Lifeline and Link-Up telephone assistance programs for income-eligible households. The Link-Up program provides a $22.50 discount on new telephone service connection charges, while the Lifeline assistance program offers eligible customers a credit of $8.25 monthly phone bills.

Qualification

Lifeline can only be used for the primary telephone line in a household and the name on the phone bill must match the name of the household member participating in the eligible program with the exception of the National School Lunch free Program.

Eligibility is based on participation of the following programs:

• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Food Stamps
• Medicaid
• Low Income home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• National School Lunch (Free program only)
• Temporary assistance for Needy Families (ANF)

Eligibility is also based on income. If the total household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines you qualify for Lifeline. The Federal Poverty Guidelines can be viewed here.   

More information about applying for these discounts can be viewed here .  Call Alpine Communcations at 245-4000 or download a  copy of the application from the Alpine Communications' website.

Lori Keppler, Alpine Customer Service Manager