Free phone & internet through the federal Lifeline program

What is the federal Lifeline program?

Lifeline is a federal benefit administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission. It provides a monthly discount of up to $9.25 on phone, internet, or bundled service for eligible low-income households — and an enhanced benefit of up to $34.25 for residents of qualifying Tribal lands. Most participating carriers apply that discount to a free smartphone and a no-cost monthly plan with unlimited talk, unlimited text, and a generous data allowance.

You qualify in one of two ways: by income (at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines) or by participation in a qualifying program such as SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance, or the Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit. Only one Lifeline benefit is permitted per household.

Browse states by region

Most-used Lifeline carriers

These national providers serve all 50 states plus DC. Plan generosity, device quality, and underlying cellular network differ — pick the one that fits your usage and area.

See all 22 Lifeline providers →

Step-by-step guides

Why PhoneAidGuide

Federal benefits should be easy to understand. Most existing Lifeline information lives in dense PDFs, carrier marketing pages full of fine print, or government portals built for caseworkers — not for the families who actually need the benefit. We cut through that. Every page explains who qualifies, what the carrier delivers each month, and how the application process actually works in your state, without the jargon.

We are an independent publisher and earn nothing from carriers. Our pages link directly to USAC's National Verifier, the FCC, and the carriers themselves so you can verify information at the source. If you have a correction or want to share your application experience, our contact page is open.