U.S. Conference of Mayors President Manny Diaz on Monday introduced a new program, SafeLink Wireless, to provide free cell phones and unlimited access to emergency services for more than one million low-income households in Florida.
Beneficiaries of the program also get a free hour of airtime each month for up to a year, and on-demand features for their new devices (voicemail, texting, call waiting, caller ID, etc.).
The SafeLink Wireless program brings the convenience and safety of mobile devices to low-income Floridians.
SafeLink Wireless is a U.S. government-supported program for income eligible households provided by TracFone Wireless. Its goal is to ensure that telephone service is available and affordable for eligible low-income households. More than 1.2 million households in Florida qualify for the Lifeline services.
According to the FCC (News - Alert), about 7.1 million households across the nation do not have telephones (July, 2006), and more than 13 percent with an income under $10,000 do not have phone service. Low-income families struggling to pay monthly bills often aren’t able to take advantage of either traditional landline or newer wireless services.
Using public payphones is one option for low-income families, but this is not a perfect solution.
A recent study, “Cell Phones Provide Significant Economic Gains for Low-Income American Households,” analyzed the impact of mobile phones on low-income households, and uncovered the cell phone is a critical component for personal safety, access to emergency services, and can potentially increase a low-income family’s economic productivity and earning power.
INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO West 2008 — the biggest and most comprehensive IP communications event of the year — concluded Thursday in Los Angeles, California. Thousands of attendees flocked to the event for three valuable days of exhibits, conferences and networking opportunities. Mark your calendar now for ITEXPO East 2009, February 2-4, 2009, in sunny Miami, Florida.
Read archived editions of Show Daily eNewsletters from ITEXPO (News - Alert) West 2008 here. See you in February!
Barkha Bathwal is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Barkha's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Mae Kowalke
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