You asked for information about Virgin Mobile USA's Assurance Wireless program which provides free cell phone service to qualifying low-income individuals.

SUMMARY

Assurance Wireless provides eligible low-income individuals with a free wireless phone and 250 free minutes of nationwide cell phone service each month. There are no long-term contracts, activation and recurring fees, or surcharges for program participants.

Assurance Wireless is provided by Virgin Mobile USA and is a Lifeline Assistance program supported by the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Universal Service Fund. It is currently available in 13 states: Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Eligibility varies by state, although generally an individual qualifies for the program if he or she participates in certain government assistance programs, including Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly known as Food Stamps). Each state, except Maryland and West Virginia, also allows an individual to qualify for the program based on his or her household income. Service is terminated once an individual no longer meets these eligibility requirements.

ASSURANCE WIRELESS PROGRAM

Assurance Wireless is provided by Virgin Mobile USA and is a Lifeline Assistance program supported by the FCC's Universal Service Fund. The federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires this fund to be used in part to help low-income customers pay for monthly telephone charges and initial connection charges. Lifeline Assistance Programs provide eligible low-income individuals with a discount on monthly charges for their primary home telephone line. Some wireless companies offer Lifeline telephone programs throughout the country; Assurance Wireless is one such program. (Only one wireless or landline Lifeline account is allowed per household.)

Assurance Wireless is currently available in 13 states: Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The program provides eligible individuals a free wireless phone and 250 free minutes of wireless phone service each month. A participant may purchase additional minutes if needed ($5 for 250 minutes or $20 for 1000 minutes and 1000 text messages per month).

Eligibility requirements vary by state, but generally an individual qualifies for the program if he or she participates in certain government assistance programs such as Medicaid, TANF, SNAP, and SSI. Each state except, Maryland and West Virginia, also accepts applicants whose household income falls at or below a certain threshold (135% or 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL)). Table 1 provides a summary of eligibility requirements in each state.

Table 1: Assurance Wireless Program Eligibility Requirements by State

Additional program information is available by calling 1-888-898-4888 or visiting the Assurance Wireless website at www.assurancewireless.com.

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