Landlines remain important to home emergency planning
STAMFORD, Conn., Sep 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) —
The Federal Communications Commission, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates have designated September 13-19, 2010 as “National Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week.”
The designation is an effort to raise awareness of landline telephone payment assistance available to qualifying low-income Oregon residents as part of three federal support programs plus the state Oregon Telephone Assistance Program (“OTAP”). These programs, “Lifeline Assistance,” “Native American Lifeline,” “Link-Up,” and “OTAP” are available through Frontier Communications (NYSE:FTR, news, filings).
- “Lifeline” is a plan that assists qualified low-income customers by providing a monthly credit on their telephone bill.
- “Link-Up” is an assistance plan that helps qualified low-income customers pay for the installation of basic telephone service by reducing connection charges by 50 percent, or $30, whichever is less.
- The federal “Native American Lifeline” program provides additional discounts to qualified customers.
- “OTAP” is a state plan administered by the Oregon Public Utility Commission that supplements the federal benefits.
Another feature of the Lifeline program enables qualified applicants to avoid paying a service deposit if they voluntarily agree to have long-distance calling blocked from their telephone.
“This landline telephone assistance plan is available to qualifying Oregon residents,” said Ken Gaffga, State Vice President & General Manager. “Frontier wants to let low-income customers know about these programs and encourage eligible customers to apply.”
Oregon residents whose income is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines are eligible for telephone assistance. Additionally, Oregon residents who participate in one or more of the following programs are eligible for telephone assistance:
- Food Stamps,
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and
- Certain State Medical Programs or Medicaid.
| The following conditions are required for the Lifeline and Link-Up programs: |
| 1) Telephone service must be listed in your name; |
| 2) You cannot be listed as a dependent on another person’s tax return; and |
| 3) Telephone service must be in your primary residence (not a business or second home). |
These four low-income telephone assistance plans are important for Oregon residents and benefit the public by ensuring affordable access to telephone service for everyone. Eligible area residents are encouraged to submit their application and direct questions to Frontier Communications. To learn more about low-income telephone assistance plans specific to Oregon, contact Frontier by visiting www.frontier.com and clicking on Discount Programs. Frontier can provide you with an application, or direct you to the appropriate state agency to facilitate the process.
According to Gaffga, “Lifeline, Native American Lifeline, Link-Up and OTAP are great ways to ensure that all Oregon households can take advantage of the benefits of a landline phone. For example, E911 is a vital service offered via landline that cannot be fully duplicated using cell phones. Corded landline phones that do not require alternating current (AC) power for dial tone also work even when the power is out, a critical component of any home emergency plan.” Gaffga notes, “Frontier offers a wide array of digital phone and wireless services, but when it comes to safety and security, many customers still rely on their copper line when it comes to power outages, 911 emergency calls, alarm monitoring services and call quality.” Basic landline service also allows many consumers to choose a less expensive package of cell phone minutes, which helps the family budget.
About Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications Corporation (NYSE: FTR) offers voice, High-Speed Internet, satellite video, wireless Internet data access, data security solutions, bundled offerings, specialized bundles for small businesses and home offices, and advanced business communications Access Solutions for medium and large businesses in 27 states and with approximately 14,800 employees. Frontier is included in the S&P 500 Index and is the largest provider of communications services to rural America. More information is available at www.frontier.com and www.frontier.com/ir.
SOURCE: Frontier Communications Corporation
Frontier Communications
Stephanie Beasly, 916-691-5666
Communications Manager
stephanie.beasly@ftr.com
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