SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – In a unanimous decision, the California Public Utilities Commission voted today to expand California’s Lifeline Program, which provides affordable telephone service to low-income consumers, to include wireless carriers.
“This is a landmark decision,” said Greenlining Institute Energy and Telecommunications Policy Director Stephanie Chen. “More and more Californians are using wireless as their main telephone access, and communities of color are particularly dependent on wireless phone services. Today’s decision will be a huge benefit to members of our communities who are low-income. Wireless LifeLine service is a great step forward that will move us closer to our goal of connecting everyone in California.”
Key elements of today’s decision include:
• LifeLine will be expanded to include wireless providers, allowing LifeLine-eligible consumers to apply the LifeLine discount to wireless phone plans.
• Eligible individuals who don’t have a Social Security number will now be able to sign up for LifeLine.
• The new rules require LifeLine providers to offer customer service in the same language that the provider marketed or sold the service.
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