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Free Means of Communication

By Andrea Hollands


In the year 1984, a program was started for benefiting senior citizens as well as low income groups by giving them a means of communication to use during times of emergencies. This was started by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and with the telecommunication act of 1996 this program was further enhanced to become known as the Lifeline program.

TracFone Wireless is one such telecommunication company which sponsors the Safelink program by which they provide free cell phones along with a service of a fixed number of free minutes. It is entirely funded by the company itself and the taxpayers dollars are not used in any way for meeting the expenditure incurred. The senior cell phone plan was provided for anyone who qualified and they could opt either for Safelink or Lifeline both of which provided free phones in different states. One could chose according to the need and the provision in his state.

There were more than a million users of the Safelink program last year, thanks mainly due to the drastic economic situation. The Safelink program is offered in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan and Maine to mention a few. Other states benefiting from the program are DC, Delaware, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Mississippi.

There are around 1700 companies that provide this service of senior cell phones out of which TracFone is acclaimed to be a leader with its Safelink program. For those who are wondering about the source of funding for the program, it is a fact that all the expenses are being borne by the telecommunication organization with the government only playing a supportive and endorsing role. Yet, the program is being regularly scrutinized and criticized by many as a free benefit being paid by the government.

Neither is the Safelink a new federal program, as many would have it. It was started about 25 years back even when Reagan was the president. The program was then formulated to provide aid and support to the disadvantaged sections of the society. It also came as a relief to the senior citizens as a good senior cell phone plan. It goes to the credit of TracFone that it has made this dream a reality and many Americans can claim to have benefited greatly from the program.




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