A call out to those in need; free cellphones for California's disadvantaged

Local homeless and low-income residents may now be eligible for free cell phones and service, thanks to a new statewide program that began this week as part of the federally-funded Lifeline effort.

Two companies are now offering free phones and monthly plans with 250 talk minutes and 250 text messages to anyone in California who can prove they are income eligible -- earning under $14,702 a year.

Spokesman Jack Pflanz of Assurance Wireless from Virgin Mobile USA, one of the companies -- along with Reach Out Wireless -- providing the phones, said although promotion and outreach for the program is currently focused on San Francisco, anyone who qualifies under the guidelines and lives in California is eligible.

Pflanz said Assurance Wireless, one of Sprint's no-contract brands, provides service coverage in both the Arcata and Eureka areas.

Representatives with Reach Out Wireless could not be reached for comment.

The federal program previously provided landlines to the low-income residents, but last week the California Public Utilities Commission expanded Lifeline to include cell phones.

A press release from Assurance Wireless said the cell phones provide users with a contact number and the ability to return calls to prospective employers, ?which can help improve the chances of securing employment.? An estimated 4.6 million California households could be eligible.

Although he had not previously heard of the program, North

Coast Veterans Resource Center site director Jason Henry said it sounded like a great idea. Henry, who has worked at the veteran's resource center for two years, said being able to get a cell phone to even just one of his veterans, many of whom are homeless or low-income, would be a huge step.

?Right off the bat, I think the biggest benefit would be that it would allow these folks the ability to speak with their families on a regular basis,? Henry said. ?And that's just on the personal end. I think certainly from a business end it would be help with scheduling doctor appointments as well as job searches.?

It can be tough to get by without a cell phone, Henry said.

?This sounds like one of those things that would really help those who need it the most,? he said.

Reach Out Wireless and Assurance Wireless, an arm of Sprint, will provide the phones free of charge, and will be reimbursed $9.25 by the FCC's federal Lifeline program to cover the cost of services, FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield said.

The two free plans to be offered in California have limits on service, and policies surrounding the replacement or repair of phones are different for each carrier, according to the CPUC's spokesman Andrew Kotch.

Most wireless carriers include long distance service in their plans, he said.

The FCC has been overseeing the wireless program since 2005, and has made rules changes to alleviate fraud and abuse, Wigfield said. The program does not do a background check on applicants' criminal or health histories, nor does it set guidelines restricting the type of calls that can be made, he added.

?The rules for the Lifeline program are meant to make sure that the program is protected against waste, fraud or abuse but a rich kid could call 911 unnecessarily just as easily as someone who is poor,? Wigfield said. ?It's just is not in FCC's jurisdiction to deal with that.?

At a glance: For those who are interested in learning more about the Lifeline program or to apply, Assurance Wireless can be contacted at 800-395-2171 or assurancewireless.com. Reach Out Wireless can be contacted at 877-777-1914 or reachoutmobile.com/contact_us.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kaci Poor can be reached at 441-0504 or kpoor@times-standard.com

Source: http://www.times-standard.com/ci_22728348/call-out-those-need-free-cellphones-californias-disadvantaged?source=rss_viewed

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