More Residents Turn To Lifeline Rediced Rate Phone Service

More and more low income Floridians are taking advantage of a program that offers a reduced rate for basic telephone service.

The Florida Public Service Commission’s annual report on Lifeline Assistance and Link-Up Florida shows enrollment continues to rise. Clients benefiting from the telephone discount programs increased by 3.8 percent from July 2009 through June 2010, reaching 642,129 participants.

All telecommunications service providers and certain other providers must contribute to the USF based on a percentage of their interstate and international end-user telecommunications earnings. Companies may pass these costs on to their clients. Service providers include wireline phone companies, wireless phone companies, paging service companies, and certain Voice over Internet Protocol providers. In 2008, Florida paid $482 million into the USF and received only $178 million back.

The federal Lifeline Assistance program offers clients who participate in certain public assistance programs a basic telephone service discount of anyway $13.50 per month, or $162 per year. Link-Up Florida provides a 50 percent reduction in the telephone service installation charge, up to a maximum of $30, for qualifying households that do not currently have telephone service. Both landline and wireless providers offer the Lifeline program.

Applying for Lifeline is easy. Florida residents can call their local phone company, the PSC at 1-800-342-3552, or the Office of Public Counsel at 1-800-540-7039 for assistance. Information is as well available at www.floridapsc.com and www.floridaopc.gov/lifeline.cfm.