How to get free 5G government phones in USA?

The United States government runs two federal programs offering free 5G government phones to eligible citizens.

5G is the latest wireless technology that promises faster speeds and lower latency. Throughout the world, governments and the private sector are pushing this service and going for infrastructure development.

5G is still an expensive technology and is not yet available on many devices. However, two federal programs of the United States government: the Lifeline Assistance Program and the Affordable Connectivity Program, offer 5G phones to eligible candidates.

Lifeline Assistance Program

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The Lifeline Assistance Program was started to provide a subsidy of $9.25 to low-income households to help them pay for the phone and internet bills.

The program started in 1985 and initially only covered landline bills. Later, with the introduction of new technology, the domain of the program expanded to cover wireless service and broadband connection.

The funding for this program comes from the Universal Service Fund collected from the telecom operators.

Here are the criteria for applying for this assistance program:

The household income should be at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. It depends on the number of persons in a household.
One person in the household must participate in one of the following federal assistance programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA), Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, or Tribal-specific programs such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TTANF), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or Head Start.

You can apply for the Lifeline Assistance Program by visiting the website lifelinesupport.org. You may be required to submit an identity proof, address, date of birth and Social Security or Tribal Identification number.

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Affordable Connectivity Program

The next federal program is the Affordable Connectivity Program designed to provide a monthly discount of up to $30 to low-income households to help them pay for broadband service. This discount increases to $75 for households on tribal lands.

Moreover, the program also has a one-time mega discount of $100 on the purchase of electronic devices such as laptops, mobiles, desktop computers and tablets.

The program was launched as a government response to COVID-19 and is expected to last till the funds end.

Here are the eligibility criteria for applying for this program:

Household income should be below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
Your household should qualify for the Lifeline Assistance Program.
Your household should receive a Federal Pell Grant.
One person in your household should suffer a job loss.
One person in your household in one of the following federal assistance programs including SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, FPHA, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, or Tribal-specific programs such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TTANF), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or Head Start.

Here too you need to provide identity proof, date of birth, tax return, address, Social Security or Tribal Identification number.

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How to get free 5G government phones with these programs?

Both the Lifeline Assistance Program and the Affordable Connectivity Program can help you get free 5G government phones by following these steps:

Check 5G plans and coverage in your area. For this, you can visit the Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile websites and see their coverage area and plans.
Check the companies participating in these programs. You can directly talk to customer support to get more information.
After you are done, select a provider and plan according to your budget. You can opt for a lower service such as 4G or 3G if the 5G plan is not yet available in your area.
Select the device.

Once you are done with the above formalities, you will receive your 5G government phone. Remember to rectify your eligibility every year and update any information on the government website.