Sunday, August 01, 2010
Programs provide free cell phones to low-income Virginians
Assurance Wireless and SafeLink assist low-income Virginians.
ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times
Lamour Freeman of Roanoke uses his Assurance Wireless cellphone to contact doctors and loved ones.
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By mid-July, Lamour Freeman of Roanoke was all out of minutes on his Assurance Wireless cellphone. He said that he had used his 200 free monthly minutes to contact doctors about appointments and medications. He also called friends and family when he needed their help.
Freeman got his Assurance Wireless cellphone three months ago. The time that he lived without it is a blur, he said.
"All I remember is needing help and not having a cellphone to get it," Freeman said.
Freeman is one of thousands of low-income Virginians who have gained access to a free cellphone through one of two programs -- Assurance Wireless and SafeLink -- created by rival cellphone companies and subsidized by fees that the federal government requires interstate wireless carriers to levy on all customers.
SafeLink has been available in Virginia since 2008, but Assurance just made its debut in the state in May and is trying to create public awareness about its services.
When he was 19 years old, Freeman said, he was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. The disease, which causes joint pain, stiffness and swelling, has left the 26-year-old dependent on others. He hasn't been able to work for seven years, he said.
Freeman said he often takes care of his 2-year-old niece, but there are times when he is in too much pain and he can't run around after her. This is when he needs to call a friend or neighbor for help.
Freeman learned about Assurance Wireless from his food stamp worker, he said.
"This little thing has really been a lifeline for me," Freeman said of his cellphone.
The purpose of Assurance Wireless is to help people get back on their feet, said Ken Poindexter, a relationship manager for the company.
"The downturn in the economy has left many people without not only jobs, but also access to effective communication," he said. "Many of the customers that I work with use the phone to keep in contact with potential employers. Without cellphones, they give relatives' and friends' phone numbers to employers to contact them."
It's also a form of security, Poindexter said.
"Most people take their cellphones for granted," he said. "But imagine if you didn't have a cellphone. What would you do if you had an emergency when you weren't at home?"
Assurance Wireless launched in December and made its Virginia debut in May. To qualify for a phone and service, Assurance Wireless customers must receive government assistance or meet a low threshold for household income level. In Virginia, those who receive Medicaid, food stamps/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and federal public housing assistance are eligible.
The service also is available in Florida, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. Users who exhaust the 200 free minutes per month can buy additional time from the company at their own expense.
Assurance, a cellphone service from Sprint Nextel Corp.'s Virgin Mobile division, is supported by the Lifeline Assistance program, a part of the Universal Service Fund. The USF is supported by fees that all interstate telecommunications carriers are required to charge customers. It's designed to subsidize service in high-cost areas, to the poor, to rural areas, and to libraries and schools.
According to the Universal Service Fund, in 2007 there were 20,000 people using Lifeline in Virginia. This was before Lifeline extended its services to include cellphones. In 2009, the number of people using Lifeline in the state jumped to 40,000.
The idea of providing those with low income levels with effective communication has been around for more than 20 years.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, Lifeline was created in 1984 to ensure that those who could not afford them had access to landline telephones. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 expanded the phone service providers that could provide Lifeline services. The act gave birth to the Universal Service Fund, which collects taxes from phone companies to fund its programs.
In 2008, the USF began subsidizing cellphones, through SafeLink wireless, which was created by TracFone Wireless. It is available in 26 states, including Virginia, where it offers a free phone and 68 free minutes a month for eligible participants.
Freeman, the Assurance Wireless customer in Roanoke, said he considers himself lucky. His family and friends know when he is out of minutes on his cellphone, so they drop in periodically to check on him.
"It's been really hard for me and every little bit of help that I can get makes a big difference," Freeman said.
On the Net: www.assurancewireless.com www.safelinkwireless.com
