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 Washington residents as part of three federal support programs plus the state Washington Telephone Assistance Program (“WTAP”). These programs, “Lifeline Assistance,” “Link-Up,” “Native American Lifeline” and “WTAP” are available through Frontier Communications (NYSE:FTR, news, filings).
- “Lifeline Assistance” is a federal plan that assists qualified low-income customers by providing a monthly credit on their telephone bill.
- “Link-Up” is a federal 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.
- WTAP is a state plan administered by the Department of Social and Health Services (“DSHS”) that supplements the federal benefits, including in many cases reducing installation charges to zero.
Another feature of the programs 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 is available to qualifying Washington residents,” said Tim Travaille, Senior Vice President & General Manager. “Frontier wants to let low-income customers know about these programs, and encourage eligible customers to apply.”
Washington residents who participated in one or more of the following qualifying assistance programs may be eligible for telephone assistance:
- Medicaid
- Food Stamps
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- The National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TTANF), or
- Head Start
The following conditions apply:
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).
To apply for telephone assistance plans, qualified applicants should contact Frontier Communications at (877) 462-8188.
These telephone assistance plans are important for Washington residents and benefit the public by ensuring affordable access to telephone service for everyone.
According to Travaille, “Lifeline, Link-Up, Native American Lifeline and WTAP are great ways to ensure that all Washington 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.” He 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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